


Surviving an Apocalypse

by StrifeMillions



Category: Gakuen Mokushiroku | Highschool of the Dead
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-15
Updated: 2017-06-22
Packaged: 2017-12-08 14:26:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 52,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/762376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrifeMillions/pseuds/StrifeMillions
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This story starts off around Ep 7 or 8, just after the groups are separated near Saya's house.</p><p>Pairings (so far): Saeko x Takashi x Saya, Rika x Shizuka, Hirano x Asami.<br/>I personally don't like Rei, so I will mildly bash her character now and then.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Split

-Split-

Takashi saw Rei thrown off the Humvee, her hand just beyond his grasp as Shizuka suddenly applied the brakes. Her body flew in a graceful arc, her back crashing down on the vehicle's fender before bouncing on to the street, front-first. She landed about two meters ahead of the vehicle, and didn't seem like she could move. Takashi quickly jumped off the side of the van. He saw Them approaching, hardly fifty meters away. He quickly moved to the other side, and saw Saeko getting out through the door.

"Get her, Takashi. But move quickly", she said. They'd both agreed to address each other by their first names the previous night, considering the fact that they had become quite close the past few days.

"I'll try to keep em occupied too", called Kohta from the top of the van. He setup a rifle and started firing at the approaching horde.

"Thanks, guys", said Takashi, before rushing off to get Rei.

"That's what we do now, isn't it", said Saeko, before rushing off to fight the horde with her bokken, her trusty wooden sword.

Takashi picked Rei up, and brought her to the side of the door. "Saya, can you take her? I'm going to help Saeko."

"Of course, Takashi", said the pink-haired genius.

Takashi nodded, and loaded up his shotgun to join Saeko. He was a short range fighter, and the Ithaca was perfect for him. Kohta had shown him how to use it the previous night. Everyone had picked a firearm and gotten comfortable with it, and they'd hoarded as much as they could carry from Shizuka's friend's vast store of ammo and guns. Even Saeko had acquiesced to carry a Beretta 92FS. Kohta used a Springfield M1A1, as did Rei, though she had one with a bayonet attached, and had hardly fired it. Saya had picked herself a handgun similar to Saeko's, and Shizuka had picked up as much medical equipment as she could find and store in the van. There was more than enough for the medical savant to start a field hospital right there, in the middle of the battlefield that was Tokonosu City.

Saya took Rei's gun off her, and helped her up into the Humvee. She laid her on the floor, and hoped that someone at her family's estate would have noticed their entrance. Either way, Komuro, Hirano and Busujima had to try and clear a path for them, in case the estate was overrun. Gunshots were fired at regular intervals from the top of the van - Hirano was having a ball. Saya looked out to see Saeko slice and dice Them like it was nothing, despite using just a wooden sword. Takashi shot Them down as fast as he could, sometimes using the shotgun as a blunt weapon to bash their heads in. He seemed to have gotten a lot stronger and his movements were a lot more fluid, less inefficient than before.

"Adrenaline", she concluded. "And Takashi-kun has possibly been getting some tips from Miss. Busujima. Hmm, did something happen yesterday, though?"

Saya considered the situation. Miyamoto-chan had seemed a bit moody ever since they'd left the apartment, and Takashi-kun had been stealing glances at Saeko-chan rather than her.

If Saya wasn't wrong, and she rarely ever was (especially about Takashi) Takashi was slowly, but surely, starting to let go of the feelings he thought he had (and she was sure there was never anything there to begin with) for Rei, and possibly letting Saeko in. She was happy for him, she knew how depressed her best friend had been the past year, after the girl he (said he) loved had started going out with that snake who called himself his friend. Previously, he'd been indifferent to most things in life, just drifting along where it took him. She had wished she could be more like him, laid-back and carefree, but she had to be top of class to keep her parents happy, and to satisfy herself. She wanted to continue having fun with Takashi. Since she was the sort of person who would deny herself all manner of fun, and could not be happy unless she was the very best at what she did, she had to make sure she continued living up to her high standards to continue being around Takashi.

Komuro was decently smart, and an above-average student. He always managed a place in the top ten or so of the class-mostly, with help at the last minute from Takagi every semester. Of course, Takagi gave it to him kicking and screaming about how he never changed, but she did it just to keep up appearances. The relationship between the two of them was something beyond just the best of friends. They'd been inseparable since their childhood, they understood and trusted each other implicitly, shared each other's secrets, and were almost always together. This had been especially true in the last year, since Takashi had drifted apart from Hisashi and Rei in the aftermath of the commencement of their relationship.

She didn't have much of an opinion on Rei (basically seeing her as someone she had to tolerate), until she'd 'dumped' him before even being committed to him. After that, she'd hated her for what she'd done to Takashi. Takashi had accepted it soon enough, but he'd not let her go. Now, Saya truly believed he had, especially with the way he'd pushed her away last night at the apartment when she'd thrown herself on him. (Saya hadn't meant to spy, but well, it had happened, and she'd been weirdly angry about it, for some reason unknown even to herself) Well, he hadn't really pushed her away, but he'd looked away when she'd tried to kiss him, and his look had been directed toward the kitchen, where Saeko had been cooking something. Saya probably read a lot more into that than she should have, but she knew Takashi, and she knew it was probably significant. The dog barking was what had really brought Takashi to his senses.

Saya turned her head back to observe the fighting.

Takashi and Saeko were back to back, and she had to admit, the two of them worked brilliantly as a team. Saeko was undoubtedly more skilled, more agile and more controlled, but she couldn't do it all on her own. Takashi was a literal jack of all trades; he just seemed to pick up the slack wherever it was needed, and not just while they fought. The group seemed to be looking to him more and more for leadership.

Saya had always sensed the latent leadership qualities Takashi possessed - he genuinely cared for people, he tried to get them to believe in themselves, and he always supported them when they needed it. She had seen it time and again in their own interactions, in his interactions with Hisashi and Rei, when he'd just backed off for them, despite his own sadness, and most recently during this ordeal, where he'd encouraged Kohta to use his knowledge of guns and military equipment to their advantage. These were just the examples she could think of off the top of her head, but he'd always been that way. Almost poetically, he'd wasted it all with his almost nihilistic outlook on life. But, maybe it could rise to the surface and help them survive this together, now. She knew they most certainly needed it.

Saya snapped her mind back to the situation on hand. She could muse later.

She was the brains of the group - the ideator. Takashi had told her as much. She had to do something to find out if her family was alive, and could help them. She thought for a bit, and suddenly remembered that there was an alarm near where they were standing. It would alert her family estate's security force to outside presence. They could help. They had to...IF they had managed to survive thus far, that is.

She spotted the red square of glass that needed to be broken during such emergencies, across the fence. She picked up a stone from nearby, and aimed it carefully, before throwing it toward the alarm. She missed with her first two tries, before finally hitting it on her third.

"Whew!" she thought. "I was running out of stones. Now, if they're alive, they should be here soon. Please let them be okay!"

She sent a small prayer toward the sky hoping for the safety of the people on her family's estate. Belatedly, she realized that asking Kohta to aim and shoot the damn thing would have accomplished her goal faster. Oh well...

Kohta shouted, "Damn it, what are those two doing?"

She ran to the other side of the Humvee to see what Kohta meant. It hit her immediately. Saeko and Takashi did not have a clear route back to the vehicle.

She quickly realized that the other horde of Them had come down the other side of the intersection and cut them off. They were blocked on all sides, and their only option for escape was the stairs to the park. Saya despaired. What could they do now? Takashi and Saeko were separated from them, and the hordes of Them seemed to be equally intent on killing both their separate groups.

"Saya!", called a voice, strangely familiar.

She turned back to see…. her mother! "Mommy! Quick, we need help!", she shouted.

Her mother nodded, and said, "We'll pull the wires up, you need to scramble through. Leave the vehicle, we'll secure it later."

"Wait, I'll get Rei first, she's injured."

Saya rushed in and called to Shizuka, "Sensei, we need to get outta here. Leave everything behind, we'll get them later. You need to handle Alice-chan."

Shizuka nodded and got out of the car, running toward where Saya's mother and the group of guards were standing. Saya's mother indicated a gap in the fence, which was being lifted up by some of the men there. Shizuka nodded, and rushed over, pushing Alice to the other side. Alice had Zeke with her. Shizuka then scrambled across as well.

Saya and Hirano followed in a short while, supporting Rei. She was having trouble remaining upright. They set her down near the opening and pushed her gently through. Shizuka and Saya's mother both pulled from the other side to help.

Once they were through, Saya looked at Kohta and told him, "Your turn, Chubby, don't take too long, all right. I'll go try and see about Saeko and Takashi."

She rushed off to her vantage point atop the Humvee and saw that Takashi and Saeko had no chance of getting across the same way as them.

She yelled, "Takashi, Saeko, we'll be at my house. Please find a way to get to us!

Takashi and Saeko turned and ran toward the stairs to the park.

They reached the top of the stairs and saw the undead nearly at the fence to Saya's estate. The guards there were shooting them down, but the horde just kept advancing. Saya scrambled her way through to the other side of the fence.

Takashi looked at the shops in the street below, and said, "Hmm, Saeko-san, maybe we can take some of the pressure off them."

"You have an idea?", asked Saeko. Takashi nodded and pointed at 4 stores down the road. Three were car showrooms, one was a jewelers.

Saeko looked at Takashi, puzzled. "I'm betting they all have security alarms, right? Really loud ones to prevent burglary?"

Realization dawned upon Saeko and she clapped Takashi on his back. "My god, that's genius, Takashi!"

Takashi felt warm and tingly at the high praise he'd just received from the beautiful girl at his side. He blushed bright red.

"I'll tell them what we're gonna do, Saeko-san."

Then, he yelled in the direction of the Takagi estate, "Hey Saya, I'm gonna blast some of these shop windows - the alarms should attract Them and take some of the pressure off your estate, and if you can get the zombies clustered enough in one area, you can blow 'em all to hell with a grenade or something."

Saya shouted back after a moment, "Okay, Takashi, see if it works!"

Takashi took aim with his shotgun's scope- probably the first time he had had cause to use it, since he normally fought at close range. He said, "Okay, Saeko-san, I'll take the 2 on the right, can you try getting the 2 on the left?"

"With pleasure", she replied, before lining up her own pistol on one of the shop windows.

Within moments they had activated the alarms in all 4 shops. As Takashi had predicted, they were loud enough to attract quite a large number of Them away from the estate.

"Now, Saeko-san. I believe we should find another route to the estate like Saya said, it's too dangerous to fight our way across, and we're sitting ducks here."

"I don't know the area too well, Takashi-kun."

"That's fine, leave that to me. Saya and I have been friends since forever. We used to play around here often."

"Fine by me, then. Just inform them and we'll be on our way." She paused, and added, "Looks like we'll be getting some alone time", with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Umm, yeah, Saeko-san, we should just have made our way below the fence like they did from the beginning. I wasn't thinking. Now we're both separated from the group. I'm really sorry", said Takashi, blushing.

Before the apocalypse that was unfolding around them, he could never have even dreamed of talking to Saeko; she had been one of Fujumi High's queens, every male student's wet dream - beautiful, intelligent, athletic, and so utterly unattainable. Now, they relied on each other to survive, and he was on a first name basis with her. Things changed quickly when the world went to hell.

Saeko laughed, and said, "Takashi-kun, you ran to help me, and to create a distraction for the others to be safe. It was instinctive, but it also shows how much you care about everyone. There's certainly nothing to apologize for, and I certainly don't regret being alone with you."

Takashi's face turned crimson at that. "Err, yeah. I better tell em before they wonder what we're doing. And, we better start off quick, some of Them are making their way up the stairs", he said.

"Yo, Saya. Saeko and I will try to find another way to get to your mansion. We'll be there as soon as we can, I promise."

Saya shouted back, "Yeah, I'll be waiting."

Takashi turned back to Saeko, and gave her a grin. "Well, Saeko, ready to find our way to safety?"

She smiled and said, "Lead the way, Takashi. I'll be right behind you."

-0-

Alice realized that Takashi and Saeko hadn't turned up, as the remainder of their group, sans Rei (who'd been carried off in a stretcher ahead of them) made their way to Saya's mansion.

"Are Takashi-onii-chan and Saeko-onee-san gonna be alright?", she asked to the group in general. Zeke barked seriously, almost as if to say that he was worried about their safety as well.

The two teenagers and one adult looked at each other with some worry – they were obviously concerned about Takashi and Saeko as well.

Saya said, "It's hard to say, but I think they'll be fine. Takashi is resourceful, and he knows the area well. He can brawl pretty hard, as we've seen. Plus, all of us know Saeko is a monster when it comes to fighting Them, easily the best among us on the battlefield. Those two together – well, I'd have to say the odds are in their favor, Alice-chan…", and smiled at Alice.

Alice smiled back. "Okay, if Saya-onee-san says they're okay, then they will be okay. Takashi-nii always calls you a genius so you must know everything."

Saya blushed. "Not everything, Alice-chan. I only know what I know. I try to figure out the rest."

Kohta and Shizuka also found themselves more hopeful, as they realized that Saya's analysis was quite accurate.

Shizuka asked, "Though, when do you think they'll get here?"

Saya said, "I'd say Takashi will try to minimize the risk. So, that means no traveling after sunset. I'd estimate their arrival time early tomorrow morning. Noon at the latest."

The others nodded. "Well, here's wishing them luck. Let's hope they kick some ass too", said Kohta.


	2. To the shrine

-To the shrine-

Takashi and Saeko continued down the street, taking down any undead stragglers that crossed their path. Truthfully, they had gotten pretty good at it by now. Survival instinct took precedence over any thoughts over the morality of cutting down people who could (possibly, but not probably) be cured.

Soon, they came upon a dirt bike showroom. "Saeko-san, we should get a vehicle to travel. We might find what we need in this place."

Saeko considered for a while, saw a poster of a boy and a girl on a Harley kissing, and smirked. "It's almost like a date isn't it?", she asked playfully, motioning to the picture.

Takashi went red. He seemed to be doing that a lot, especially around Saeko. Saeko laughed at his discomfiture. "You know, Saeko-san, you seem to take a lot of pleasure teasing me. I wouldn't have pegged you as the teasing kind. I wonder what your friends thought of it, or even knew how evil you were."

"Oh, is that right, Takashi-kun? How do you know I don't do it specially for you, hmm?", asked Saeko, still smiling.

Takashi went even redder, if that were possible. "Er, yes. It doesn't seem like I'm gonna beat you at this game, so I will proceed to search the shop before I embarrass myself further in front of the wise and invincible Saeko-sama", he said, emphasizing the 'sama' honorific.

It was Saeko's turn to blush. "Ah, come on, don't be like that."

Takashi laughed. "I needed to get a bit of my own back."

Saeko punched him on his shoulder playfully. They checked out the shop. Takashi wanted an amphibious vehicle as they needed to get across a stretch of water to get to Saya's. Saeko found an ATV that could go on water in one of the rooms, and called Takashi.

Takashi nodded his approval of the find, and the two set about gathering other things they might find useful. Takashi loaded 2 backpacks full of different articles onto the ATV and took the wheel.

"Er, yeah, a disclaimer: I don't make any promises about my driving capability on this thing. It's probably gonna be a bumpy ride."

Saeko smirked at him as she got on, and grabbed the rod on top firmly. "Yeah, I'm confident I can handle whatever gets thrown up."

-0-

"Okay, here we go", said Takashi as he maneuvered the ATV down the road, towards the river. "Hang on, Saeko-san, it's a pretty steep slope."

"I'm ready."

Takashi guided the ATV down the slope and they reached the shore. He drove along the shore for a bit before coming directly opposite a small island about halfway across. A few undead stragglers walked in their direction, but they weren't an immediate concern.

"Now, you really do need to hold on, Saeko. It's gonna be a big splash." Takashi steered the ATV off the shore and into the water with a splash that drenched both its occupants.

Takashi turned back to check on his companion. "Saeko, you all…whoa", he said, stunned to silence by the sight in front of him. His face went crimson with embarrassment, and he fancied a nosebleed coming on. Saeko's school uniform top was hugging her, almost completely transparent, and showing off her upper body in all its beauty. Takashi could also see a dark flowery bra underneath.

She looked at him, saw his expression, and looked down to see the source of his discomfiture. She saw what had happened, and reflexively covered her breasts, and shouted, "Hey, you don't need to stare, you know." She blushed hotly.

"Uh, right. I'm so sorry", said Takashi turning away. He directed the vehicle to the sandbar island at the middle of the waterway. He took off his jacket and placed it on the seat next to him to dry. He heard a sneeze. Still not looking at Saeko, he said, "Saeko, you'd better change out of your wet clothes. There's a top I found back in the shop, it's right on top in the blue back pack."

"Thanks", called Saeko. After she changed her wet top to the dark blue tank top Takashi had picked up, she called, "You can turn back now."

Takashi looked back to see the tank top clinging on to Saeko's voluptuous form and his face went slightly red. He could see her nipples poking though the fabric. Saeko smirked and commented, "You know, this is suspicious. It seems to me like you had this planned all along."

"Er, no, it wasn't anything like that, Saeko-san. I had planned to get across the river, but I got the change of clothes only in case it was needed… I didn't intentionally get you wet, honest. And besides, I got wet too, so umm... it wasn't intentional at all...", babbled Takashi, desperately trying to defend himself.

Saeko laughed, and Takashi found himself oddly liking the sound. It felt like music to his ears. "It's fine, Takashi, however much I make fun of you, I appreciate you looking out for me."

Takashi smiled back, a little unsure. He looked to the shore and looked back at Saeko.

"Well, we can catch our breath for a bit. There's a shrine up ahead, through the park. Saya's house has a back entrance near there. I'm pretty sure we can't make it back tonight. We can stay at the shrine overnight and make our way there tomorrow morning."

Saeko nodded. "Sounds good, Takashi. At this point, I definitely wouldn't disagree to a plan that has me spending more time with you." Her eyes glinted playfully.

Takashi suddenly seemed very interested in the sky. "Er, yeah, we'd better leave at least a half hour before sunset, though."

Saeko looked up at the sky. "I'd say that gives us about an hour and a bit more to relax."

"Sounds right", said Takashi, nodding.

They made themselves comfortable on the ATV's seats and just relaxed for a bit, replaying the events of the day and thinking about Saya and the rest. The others should be safe at the estate, for now.

Takashi broke the silence. "Saeko-san, if I'm not being too inquisitive, do you mind if I ask whether you had a boyfriend or a crush back at school?"

Saeko raised her eyebrows up at him. She shot back, "Why, Takashi? Seeing if the coast is clear?"

Takashi got flustered at the question, "That is… I mean… just curious…I didn't mean anything by it…"

Saeko laughed. "Ahh, you're so cute when you get that way. I was just fucking with you."

"Err, yeah, umm…", said Takashi furiously scratching his head.

Saeko looked away and considered the question. "Hmm, a crush, was it? Yeah, I obviously had one. You can't live 18 years without at least looking at somebody that way, right? But, I never did anything about it."

Takashi said earnestly, "Well, Saeko-san, a girl like you, you've got everything – looks, intelligence, athleticism. On top of that, you're kind and down to earth. You could have any guy...or even girl, you want – you're like the dream partner. Anyone would be a fool not to see that."

Saeko looked back at Takashi, sadness in her eyes. "I'm glad that you have such a high opinion of me. But, everyone has their demons, Takashi-kun. Scars that take time to heal, or a guilt that gnaws away at their mind that always exists to bring them back down to earth. You know this as well as I. In my case, I don't know - I just didn't feel like I deserved it. It's something that I don't particularly like talking about. I promise to tell you one day, but for now, I'm sorry…but I can't."

Takashi was immediately contrite. "No need for you to apologize, Saeko. If anyone has to apologize, it should be me. I brought it up after all. I never meant for you to relive painful memories. But, if my opinion means anything, I really do believe that everyone deserves love and to be loved, no matter what. It can heal any kind of wound, overcome any weakness and endure beyond life itself. It may sound like a very romantic, even illogical notion. But, there are some things in this world whose power is just that great, and love is one of them. At least, that's what I think."

Saeko sighed. "That's very kind of you to say, Takashi. I'm not entirely sure I agree, but thank you, nonetheless."

She paused, and then asked him, "What about you, Takashi? You and Rei seem pretty close. Saya too."

"Since you answered my question, I guess I owe you an answer too. About Saya and me, we've known each since when we were in kindergarten. She's been my best friend since then. We fight, we make up, we play around, we study together, and we share each other's secrets. Sometimes, I feel like we're too close, you know, like two halves of the same person...I know what she's thinking, or what she feels about something almost instinctively. At some point, we embraced it, I guess, because it's kinda always been like that with us." Takashi's face took on a faraway look, and he shook himself out of the trance on his own.

Saeko then prodded him more, "And Rei?" She felt surprised at the slight bit of dread she felt as she waited for his answer.

"Rei… well, Rei and I are complicated. She's supposed to be in your year, you know. She's one year my senior."

Saeko nodded. Takashi went on, "I got friendly with her in primary school, Saya and I used to hang out with her a lot. When I was seven or eight, she made this promise to me, that she'd marry me when the time came, that she would wait patiently till then. I was so happy. I held on to that for the longest time, thinking that, you know, she'd always be there for me like she said, waiting. We went through middle school, where I became friends with Hisashi, and we were close. Not as close as Saya and I were, but still pretty thick. Then we came to high school, and I never confessed to her – I was too indecisive, I guess. I liked her, it's true. But, love? That, I wasn't sure of. Deep down, maybe I never saw her as anything more than a good friend. I love Saya with all my heart, but whether we'd ever actually date or anything, I don't know. In Rei's case, I never felt the same kind of closeness. As it turned out, Rei didn't want to wait. She started going out with Hisashi sometime last year, and I didn't know. I found out three months later, the same time I found out that she'd been held back a year for some reason. She never told me why, and I felt betrayed and depressed. More because they hadn't trusted me, than anything else, really. I drifted away from them, and they seemed happy whenever I saw them. So, I just let them be – let them find happiness in each other. I always had Saya to turn to in my weakest moments, but I didn't let the thought that I'd possibly made a mistake go, for a time. Gradually, I came to accept it. Now, I gotta admit that I'm kinda confused. I killed Hisashi when this all began, after he'd been bitten, and was turning into one of Them. After that, we were together almost constantly, and she just kept being mean to me, and I found that I didn't fucking give a damn. I made sure she was safe because I truly did care about her, and felt guilty about killing her boyfriend. But more and more, I found myself uncomfortable with the thought of her as anything more than a friend. I didn't have the patience or time for her drama and bullshit, and she has a propensity to enact a lot of that. I don't think she ever really stopped loving me, but I don't know. Last night, Rei did something I may have been wishing for, for a certain period of my life – she threw herself at me, tried to kiss me, but my in my mind, I saw someone else. I honestly wished she were someone else, and I couldn't bring myself to go through with it. Because I would've felt like I was deceiving her and everyone else. And numbskull that I am, I couldn't tell her I didn't love her any more either. The dog barking really saved the situation for me, though it did have some...interesting consequences." Takashi smiled.

He concluded, "And that, Miss. Busujima, is the enthralling story of the love-life of yours truly. Hope it lived up to your expectations."

Saeko snapped out of the trance-like state she'd been in while listening to Takashi's tale. She considered what he'd said for a while. "Takashi-kun, thank you."

He seemed surprised at that. She looked back at him and smiled. "I feel guilty. You trusted me with all these details of your life, and didn't hold anything back. And here I am, unable to repay you with the same level of trust. But, I do want to tell you about me. About the demons that plague me. I only ask that you wait for a bit until I feel ready..."

"Saeko-san, I'd be honoured to listen to anything you have to tell me. And, about what I just said, it's not something that you need to thank me for sharing. Despite knowing you for such a short time, I have come to trust you with my life. You've saved me and everyone else more times than I can count. I'd like to think I've returned the favour at least a few times, but I know there's a long way to go before I can fully repay it."

Saeko laughed. "Takashi-kun, your faith in me is flattering. But know this - none of us would have survived this far without each other. We're social creatures, Takashi, and there's only so much you can do alone. There is no debt to repay, we're comrades-in-arms, and we watch each others' backs and depend on each other to survive. I trust you with my life as well, and I truly am honoured that you feel the same."

They sat in a companionable silence for a while. Then, Saeko asked, "Hey, Takashi-kun, who did you see in your mind last night, you know, when Rei was trying to kiss you? Was it Saya, perhaps?"

Takashi blushed slightly. "Er, yes...it's not that I don't trust you, Saeko-san, but I need to keep that a secret for now… I can tell you that it wasn't Saya, though...I'll make you a deal, when you tell me about what happened to you, I'll tell you who I thought about."

Saeko smiled and replied, "Okay, that sounds fair. It's a deal." She held out a hand. "Let's shake on it."

Takashi went over and they shook on their deal. Takashi went back to his place, and commented, "You know, I thought girls were more into stuff like pinky swears and things like that."

Saeko shot back, "And I was under the impression that boys preferred disgusting things like spitting on their hands and hi-fiving to seal a deal."

Takashi laughed. "Ahh, you got me there. But, you know, I'm no ordinary boy."

Saeko replied, "And I'm no ordinary girl."

The two laughed. They enjoyed this bantering; it was about the only 'normal' thing that they could do to escape the thoughts that were ever-present in their mid, about the events of the previous few days.

Takashi commented, "You know, when I was little, both Saya's parents and my parents forbade us from ever coming here, because the current was too quick and the water too deep. I made my mind up then and there that I'd do it just once, you know, for the heck of it. Childish goals like that seem so insignificant now, with all that's happened. However, I can't help but be glad that I can still feel so happy achieving it. Preserves a sense of normalcy, gives me an escape from all the violence…"

He realized that he'd been rambling. "Oh, sorry for boring you, Saeko-san. I just started drifting off and rambling there."

Saeko smiled at Takashi. "No, its fine, Takashi-kun. I enjoy talking with you. And, I get exactly what you mean too. I'm glad that I was with you when you achieved your childhood goal. We should celebrate somehow, you know. And, you should remember to tell Saya-san. She'll probably be jealous."

Takashi ruffled his hair. "Yeah, I agree. Maybe we can find a soda vending machine or something. My treat. As for Saya, she would probably get angry and beat me up or something. I promised to take her with me when I went."

Saeko laughed.

They sat in silence, enjoying each other's company.

Soon, twilight settled in. "Okay, Saeko, time to get to that shrine. You ready?"

"Yeah, let's get this show back on the road. Er, actually, make that water."

Takashi nodded and started up the ATV.

They got to the shore without much trouble and Takashi guided it up the slope to the park. They went down the park streets, Takashi just plowing through any undead on the way.

He called Saeko's attention to a big building that was visible from where they were, and told her, "That's Saya's mansion."

"Doesn't seem too far away", Saeko called back.

"Yup, but we need to attract Them away from the shrine. So we aren't painfully surprised, you know. And I got just the plan."

"Feel like sharing?"

"It involves a fountain."

"Takashi… a fountain?"

Takashi nodded and swerved off to the right. Soon, Saeko spotted a fountain head in front. Takashi made straight for it, the ATV went up its steps and jumped into the fountain with a big splash, drenching both occupants… again.

Saeko was more than a little peeved, "What the fuck? Its almost like you like getting me wet or something!"

Takashi looked back at Saeko apologetically. "I'm sorry, Saeko-san, I know you're upset, but could you pass me the tape?"

Saeko complied and watched on with interest as Takashi started up the spare motor. It was loud, and the effect was immediate. Hordes of Them started collecting around the fountain. "Very nice, attract them with the sound, it's pretty damn loud so it can be heard for a fair distance too…And it keeps circling around the fountain until the fuel runs out."

Takashi smiled. He shouted over the noise, "Yeah, the shrine isn't too far away, and I figured the fuel would last for a while, and keep them off us for the night at least. I hope you can forgive me, though. I really didn't mean to get you drenched… either time."

Saeko laughed. "I don't mind, really. You did it cause you had precious little choice. I get that."

Takashi nodded, putting on the backpacks and reloading his shotgun. "I'd prefer not to use the gun, cause it echoes and will attract Them, but if it comes to it, I will."

"Then, allow me to clear us a path."

"After you, Miss. Busujima."

"Try to keep up, Mr. Komuro."


	3. Confessions

-Confessions-

Saeko jumped out of the ATV, swinging her bokken in a wide arc, beating off a cluster of five undead. She gracefully sliced and diced them a path through the horde. Takashi was awestruck at the efficiency and elegance of the master sword-mistress at work. He did manage to stay alert to any threat that Saeko might have overlooked, beating away his fair share of Them (and remaining out of the way of Saeko's destructive rampage). The thought running constantly through his mind was, "Holy shit, she's god-damn amazing"

Suddenly, she stopped mid-swing. Takashi wondered why. When she didn't move for a bit, he got worried and called out to her, "Saeko, why'd you stop? What's wrong?"

He ran up the slope and saw three undead children gaining on her. Saeko seemed like she was in suspended animation- paralyzed, frozen, rooted to the spot. Without thinking twice, Takashi ran to a position in front of her, pointed his gun at one of the children and pulled the trigger. The child's head exploded. He then beat off the other two, before turning back to Saeko.

Her expression was one of fear, of despair, and of unknowable terror. Of demons that buried deep that had risen to the surface at that very instant.

Takashi quickly picked up on the fact that she wasn't in the best frame of mind mentally, and said, "Come on, let's go", grabbing her hand, and guiding her up the hill towards the shrine, fending off the undead that crossed their path. Luckily, Saeko was lucid enough to follow just behind him, half-running, and half-getting dragged along. Thankfully, there weren't too many of Them remaining on the path. They'd already covered most of the distance to the shrine before Saeko had had her...episode.

They reached the shrine, and Takashi ran into it, shutting the door behind them. The inside of the shrine was lit by a candle, almost completely spent. Takashi gently led Saeko inside. She still seemed a bit out of it.

He set his bags down and lowered her to the carpeted floor, after which he went off in search of more candles to light up the place better, and to replace the one that was fast dying out. Soon, he found what he was looking for, and also found something that he knew would make Saeko very happy. It was a katana.

Now, Takashi wasn't an expert on swords, by any stretch, but he thought that it looked damned impressive. It must have had some sort of history too, to have such an ornate hilt, and to be kept in a place of honor at the side of the shrine's main idol.

He drew the screen slightly and went back to where Saeko was sitting. "Yo, Saeko, look what I found", he called, cheerfully.

He lit up two more candles and placed them at the head of the shrine. The room became much brighter. Saeko looked at him, a questioning gaze on her face. She seemed much better.

Takashi smiled and handed the katana to her, hilt first. "I found it behind the screen. When I used to come to the shrine before, it used to occupy a place of honor, like it was somehow important, you know. Dunno how good the workmanship and all is, though. Found a few wooden swords lying around too."

Saeko stood up, unsheathed the sword, and took a few practice swings. "It's decently well-made, though its balance could be better. But, it's a definite improvement on my bokken." She smiled at Takashi warmly. "Nice job finding it, and thank you for giving it to me."

Takashi scratched the back of his head, "Haha, no thanks necessary. I'm no swordsman. My fighting style is to swing as hard as possible at the enemy, pretty much. There's no skill involved. It's just adrenaline and instinct."

"You know, for a guy who hasn't been trained, you're pretty fit, you have good...instinct, as you call it and you pack a fair bit of power in your swings. I could show you a few basic techniques to better utilize your energy, be a more controlled and effective fighter… If you want to, that is…" she trailed off, unsure.

Takashi smiled warmly at her and nodded, "I'd be honoured to learn, Saeko-sensei."

Saeko blushed. "You don't have to call me that, you know." She looked around the shrine. "This is a pretty good place to practice, there's enough room, and there's equipment too…"

"Now's as good a time as any to start the lessons", said Takashi.

"Yup."

"Okay, I'll go get a pair of wooden swords. And it's my first time, so go easy on me, all right."

"I can't promise that, Takashi. I've been called a demanding teacher by many of the underclassmen."

Dismay crept into Takashi's face. "Oh my, what did I get myself into?", he muttered as he went off to find what he needed.

Saeko laughed, and hung her damp clothes (a result of the dip she took in the fountain) to dry.

Takashi came back with 2 wooden swords, and handed one to Saeko. Saeko experimentally swung hers a few times. Seemingly satisfied, she said, "Okay, Takashi-kun, your first lesson begins now."

"Bring it on, Saeko-san. I'm ready."

-0-

Rei woke up to unfamiliar surroundings. Her head ached and she felt sore. She tried to move, and immediately cried out in pain. A pain which seemed to emanate from her lower back.

A voice called out, "Oh good. You're awake. How do you feel, Miyamoto-chan?" It sounded familiar. Rei tried to place it, and it came to her in a bit. Nurse Shizuka.

"Yeah, Shizuka-sensei. My back and head hurts…"

Shizuka moved into her field of vision, looking down at her.

"I'm not surprised. You hit the fender pretty hard and fell on to the road."

Rei remembered now. She'd been trying to talk to Takashi, but had gotten nowhere. He seemed preoccupied, lost in his own thoughts. And he kept trying to steal glances at Saeko. Rei remembered feeling jealous.

Takashi loved her and her alone. Didn't he? He had been pretty broken when she started dating his friend, Hisashi Igou. She liked Hisashi, but didn't love him, not the way she'd loved Takashi. But, she needed someone to support her at the time, and well, Takashi hadn't even asked her out yet – his indecisiveness had really pissed her off, and with the other events in her life… she doubted whether Takashi had ever felt as strongly about her as she did about him…she just needed someone and Hisashi had confessed, and she decided that she wanted the comfort of being fawned upon. So, she decided to give him a chance.

They'd been a good pair - Hisashi had been such a nice guy, and he was crazy about her. At some point, maybe she'd come to love him for who he was, but the depth of her feelings was quite never the same as that with Takashi. Of course, he'd found out about it right after he'd found out about her being held back a year for reasons she hadn't revealed to him even now...he'd been angry at first, angry that she'd not trusted him with these important details… And then, when she'd yelled at him for being so indecisive, he'd just deflated and wished them happiness…and walked away.

From then on, he slowly, but very obviously, began to drift away from them, spending more and more time with Saya, Morita and his other friends in the class. Hisashi understood his reasons, and gave him his space. Rei had been disappointed that he'd just let her go without a fight. Not that he ignored them or anything like that-he still talked to them normally, was still friendly. In the beginning, he still had that look in his eye when he saw her, like she was the only girl in the world for him. Or had she imagined even that? However, imagined or otherwise, after a while, that faded away too.

She realized soon that he'd gotten over her, and frankly, it hadn't taken long… He still cared about her, but the depth of his affection wasn't really the same.

When all this had started, he'd killed Hisashi with a baseball bat. She had been so angry with him at first, but she realized that he'd only done what was logical, to protect her, to ensure their survival. He'd done it so that his friend could die a human at the very least. So that he didn't lose his mind like all of Them… That was also why he rushed out to follow her on the school bus when Shido had all but thrown her out. He really did genuinely care about her, but he did not love her.

They hadn't been alone long. Saeko, Saya, Kohta and Shizuka had rejoined them later on. But, again, that was more Takashi's doing than anything. Rei had only followed. And, he'd seemed inordinately happy to see Saeko Busujima. Saya, she could understand. The bond that existed between Takashi and her was so close, that sometimes it was difficult to tell them apart as two separate individuals.

And last night, she'd felt so lonely, with Hisashi gone. She'd gotten drunk on the small amount of spirits that Shizuka had given her. It had probably been further aggravated by the fact that they'd been through a tiring couple of days. She'd just wanted Takashi to tell her that he still loved her, the same way she still loved him. But she'd been so utterly clumsy. She kept talking about Hisashi and how nice and considerate he was, and how well he understood her. She'd even lamented the fact that Takashi wasn't more like him, trying to manipulate him to do what she wanted him to do. To take her in his arms and kiss her hard.

But, he'd not been the least bit interested in listening to her. He had purposely blocked her out during her monologue, sitting down next to her more out of a sense of duty to ensure that she didn't do anything stupid, than any love or affection that he may have had for her.

That had hurt, and she'd thrown herself at him, and his body reacted. It wasn't what she wanted...it wasn't truly him, his mind was rebelling- she could see that clearly, but in her state, she would take what she could get, she would make him rediscover his feelings for her somehow. At the very least, that gave her something to work with. And then, just as she was about to kiss him, the dog had barked.

And the next day, he'd been aloof. Sure, he'd been nice, acted friendly, but he hadn't responded to the signals she had obviously been sending him.

After some peace, the shit had finally hit the fan. On the way to Saya's house, they'd run into an army of Them. Shizuka had pulled off some crazy stunts, but she suddenly applied the brakes. The last thing Rei remembered was reaching for Takashi's hand and falling. Then everything went dark.

Come to think of it, where was everyone. Rei asked Shizuka, suddenly worried "Is everyone all right? Where's Takashi, Saya, Saeko, and the others?"

Shizuka calmed her down, "No need to worry, Miyamoto-chan. We're at Saya-chan's mansion. Alice, Zeke, Kohta, Saya, you and me all made it here in one piece. You got injured when you fell off the top of the Humvee. Looks like a back sprain and a mild concussion, but no major damage. You should be fine after a few days' rest."

"How about Takashi and Saeko?"

"They got separated from us, creating a distraction so we could get in safely. Takashi-kun said he'd find another way for the two of them and meet up with us later…"

Rei froze. "So, Takashi and Saeko are together?"

"Yes, Miyamoto-chan. But don't worry; I'm pretty sure they'll be fine. Saya-chan expects them back tomorrow morning. Now, I need to turn you so you lie on your stomach and I can put this ointment on your back and heal your sprain. I'll probably have to roll a bandage around it too."

Rei let Shizuka do as she wanted, her mind more occupied with what she'd just heard. She was glad that Takashi and Saeko were together; it meant that they could look out for each other and survive. At the same time, she was very worried that she might well lose Takashi forever by the next morning.

-0-

"So, aren't you gonna ask?"

Night had fallen. The two of them had finished the lesson and were sitting across each other. Saeko had changed back into her school uniform, which had dried in the interim. Takashi hadn't asked her about what exactly had happened to her back at the park, conveniently ignoring the subject until Saeko brought it up, if ever. Saeko knew he did this because it was probably something really personal. His consideration for her feelings made her sad, somehow. She felt like it was a benediction she didn't deserve. She'd have preferred him to be angry at her – she'd put them both at risk, after all.

Takashi knew exactly what she meant, and he smiled at her reassuringly. "It must have been something really serious for you to be affected like that. Look, you don't need to feel obliged to tell me anything. Just, please try not to do that to me again, all right. Or at least give me some warning. We're in this together, and there's no way anyone's getting left behind. I will bodily carry you to safety if it comes to that."

She turned her head away from him, focusing on the ground in front of her. "Thanks, Takashi, and I want to tell you. But I…. I don't know…how you'll react to it… I'm scared…" Saeko looked back at him with something like fear in her eyes. She seemed so unsure of herself, like a lost child who'd done something wrong, and wanted some reassurance that everything would be all right.

Takashi didn't know what to do, so he went over to her and rubbed her shoulders comfortingly with both his hands. Saeko's breath hitched at first, before she relaxed into it. Takashi said, "Saeko-san, whatever you say, whatever you've done, it won't change the admiration and respect I have for you. Please don't force yourself to tell me; like I said, I'll understand if you don't want to. Okay?"

Saeko took a deep breath and nodded. Takashi went back to his original spot, across from her. After a while, she turned her face in his direction, looked him in the eye and said, "If you don't mind, I just wanna talk about it", in a soft, clear voice.

Takashi smiled at her and held her gaze.

Saeko gathered her thoughts and began. "I've been dodging it for a while now. Somehow, I feel like I'll feel better getting it off my chest. This took place about four years ago. I was coming home from practice when I ran into a drunken man. He assaulted me, intending to molest me. I could have easily taken him down, but I didn't – I allowed him to think he had the upper hand as he pushed me to a wall. Then, just as he was about to take off my top, I just kicked him in the abdomen and he went flying across the street. But, I didn't stop there. I took out my wooden sword and I started beating him with it. And I just kept beating him over and over and over." By now, Saeko's eyes had taken on a manic glint and her face contorted into something that chilled Takashi to the bone. Her voice took on a higher pitch, a more frenetic pace.

"The feeling of control I had over him, that feeling of power, of having his life in my hands - I loved it. It was exhilarating. Eventually someone passed by, and saw what was going on. They took me to a police station, but let me go, because he had clearly tried to molest me. They put my treatment of him, of beating him almost to death, down to a hysterical reaction to what he tried to do to me. No one knew about what I felt, the joy I took in beating that man. I yearned to let loose, to feel that power again so very much..." Then, she paused for a bit. Her face returned to normal.

She looked at the ground as if to gather her thoughts, and went on after a while, her voice back to normal. "I controlled my aggression well enough, but it always stayed with me. That's why I think I don't deserve something as pure and unselfish as love. How can a monster like me ever be loved or love someone? Who'll even look at me if they knew what I was? And now, with all these undead creatures around, I can unleash all my destructive power without holding back. I'm in my element, I actually enjoy it, enjoy slicing Them apart, killing them by the tens, hundreds, maybe thousands. But, at the same time, I feel like I'm slipping away, letting my dark side take over more and more, getting worse, and those children I saw in the park, I couldn't destroy them, especially with you watching. I felt like I'd lose it completely if I did, and I was scared, Takashi… I was so fucking terrified of what I'd become and I froze. And put you in danger. I probably would have died there if it hadn't been for you, and I can't help but think, it wouldn't have been so wrong for that to have happened there, before I fell completely, became the rabid dog I really am."

Takashi interrupted, "Saeko, don't ever say that. We're in this together and as long as I live, I won't let anything happen to anyone. And, what's so wrong about feeling good when you're fighting. I feel the same way, when I look at the bastards trying to infect me, I feel this rush of adrenaline, I let loose, and it feels so fucking good to cut Them down, to destroy those monsters. It's natural and you can see it developing in everyone, Kohta, Saya, Rei, Shizuka, even Alice and Zeke. It's just plain survival instinct, we're just doing what's necessary to survive, and it really isn't something you shouldn't beat yourself up over…"

Saeko cut in, "But the difference is that I was like this before the apocalypse. I've had this demon lurking in me for the last 4 years, Takashi, just waiting for an outlet. I've been like this all my life, this sadistic pleasure I get from hurting somebody, this necessity to cut loose, I…"

Takashi suddenly reached across the floor and took her hand, and squeezed it. Saeko was stunned to silence, and looked up in surprise at this sudden action.

"Is this the reason you didn't tell your crush you liked them?"

Saeko nodded. "Okay, then, as I remember it, I need to tell you who came into my mind that time, right?"

Saeko nodded slowly, wondering why Takashi was going off topic.

Takashi looked away from her and whispered, "It was you, Saeko. You were the one that came into my mind."

Saeko's eyes went wide with surprise. Takashi met her gaze, and said earnestly, "Look, Saeko-san, everyone has light and darkness in them. And to be completely honest, darkness isn't necessarily a bad thing. At times, you need the dark emotions to protect you, to harness strength you wouldn't even believe you had. It's going to play a much bigger role in our lives now, considering the situations we're now getting into on an almost daily basis. But, whatever happens, I want you to know something – I have always admired you, even back at school, though I didn't know you too well. Now, even though I've known you properly less than a week, I can honestly say that you're one of the most amazing girls I've ever met, and probably will ever meet."

"Takashi…", said Saeko.

Takashi interjected. "And as to the rest, I believe that it may be because you've been training to fight in a restrained manner for so long, you've had to control your aggression, and hold back. And the stress of what you felt, when someone tried to violate you just because you were a pretty girl, it just released all that completely. It's just a theory, and if it means anything to you, I'd have probably killed him. Sick freaks like that don't deserve to live."

Saeko's expression softened, became almost wistful. She moved towards Takashi tentatively. Takashi's body reacted automatically to Saeko's movement, and the two of them continued moving toward each other. They met halfway, near where their hands had joined. They leaned into each other and their lips met in a soft, delicate kiss. They broke away rather reluctantly, after a few moments of bliss, and just looked into each other's eyes.

Takashi was enthralled by everything about the violet haired beauty in front of him, the flowery scent she gave off, the softness of her lips, the incredible blue depths of her eyes.

Saeko, in turn, found herself drawn more and more to the brown haired, brown eyed boy in front of her, the first person she'd ever explained her darkness to, and he had accepted it without a question, he hadn't judged her for it, and he hadn't pulled away. He'd even told her in no uncertain terms that he liked her. Saeko found herself falling for him – it was a process that had started a while before, but the way Takashi had treated her just now had catalysed it a whole lot.

After a while, neither had a clue about how to proceed, and what came next. Takashi decided that he'd liked kissing Saeko and leaned in for another. Saeko obliged him willingly, and even tried exploring his mouth with her tongue. Takashi responded with his own tongue, and they explored each other's mouths, taking in its taste, and reveling in the intimacy of the moment.

When they broke away this time, it was with more reluctance than the first time. Takashi felt like he had to say something.

"So, umm, yeah… Thanks…", he stuttered.

Saeko raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Thanks?", she asked.

"Yeah, you know… It was amazing and well, umm…"

"Yeah..."

She looked away from him. "It felt so good…but do I deserve this…" She looked back at him, a slightly hunted expression in her eyes.

Takashi leaned in and captured her lips forcefully, this time with more passion.

When he broke away, he said, "I'm the one who's outta my league here. A guy like me, I slack off at school, miss classes just because I can, no extracurricular activities to speak of. I'm just drifting along through this life aimlessly - a lost soul. Sure, I somehow manage to keep my grades on an even keel, but that's frankly more down to Saya than me. But a girl like you, perfect in every way – you're the one who deserves way better than someone like me. You deserve all the happiness life gives you. I should be the one doubting myself here, not you." He looked at her, his own insecurities reflected in his eyes.

This time, it was Saeko's turn to calm Takashi's thoughts. She cupped his face with both hands, and pulled him in for their most passionate kiss yet. When they broke away, Takashi was flushed.

Suddenly, he seemed to think of something. He got up, and held his hand out to Saeko.

"What's up?", asked Saeko, curious.

"Let's go outside for a bit, the moon's out, and this place offers a pretty amazing view of the surrounding area."

Saeko accepted his hand and got up. Takashi armed himself with one of the wooden swords they'd used for the lesson, Saeko took up the katana. They cautiously made their way outside. Once they made sure the coast was clear, Saeko walked up to Takashi and took his free hand in hers. Takashi seemed surprised at this gesture but quickly accepted it. He gave it a light squeeze.

He commented, "Your hands are so much softer than mine. But they have these rough spots…probably the training, I guess…"

Saeko replied, "Yeah. Your hands are kinda rough too… you don't play sports or do martial arts, right?"

Takashi replied, "I work part time at an auto mechanic's shop, actually. My only real constant interest in life has been tinkering with vehicle parts, specially on bikes, you know. I used to be really good friends with the owner of the shop near my dorm- he was pretty famous for his ability to repair almost anything, and I helped him out whenever I was free. I got some extra cash, and once in a while, I actually got to ride some really cool bikes… Like there was this one time we actually got a 1999 Hayabusa model to tinker with. It was amazing to ride on it, feel the power of its engine purring…"

Takashi's eyes were shining as he recounted more memories of his time as a mechanic, and he just sounded so happy. Saeko found herself smiling.

Takashi noticed Saeko smiling politely, and realized that he hadn't chosen the best topic for a conversation. He trailed off, "Saeko-san, I'm sorry. I'm boring you with my rambling again…"

Saeko laughed. "No, it's nothing like that Takashi-kun. You seemed so happy talking it, you know, about vehicles and stuff. I may not understand it, but just listening to how happy you are talking about it, makes me kinda happy, somehow. That I was able to get you to open up more…"

"Yeah… but I feel a bit cheated, Saeko-san. You've not told me anything about what your interests are."

Saeko considered for a moment. "I didn't really have much free time, what with being the captain of the kendo club, and maintaining the tradition of winning tournaments and all that. Plus, I needed to keep my grades up. So yeah, with all the responsibilities I had, I didn't really get to pursue any hobbies. When I got time, I used to read books, mostly fantasy, and play video games… I have a PlayStation 2 back home…"

"So did I! Or more accurately, I shared it with Morita, but he didn't play much, and he only liked playing beat-em-ups, so Saya and I generally got monopoly over it. Which game did you last play?"

"I remember I was about halfway through Disgaea 2… I loved the first one, and I waited so long for the prices on the second one to drop so I could get it."

Takashi's eyes went wide with amazement. "No fucking way. I played it and finished it just last week." He grinned roguishly at her. "You better be nice to me Saeko-san, or I'll spoil it for you."

Saeko swatted his arm in reply. "No way, I'd never forgive you if you did that…"

Takashi laughed. "Don't worry; I was just fucking with ya. Any other games you play? Like on the computer, maybe?"

Saeko considered. "Yeah, I play a fair bit of multi-player online games. Like League of Legends. Defence of the Ancients on occasion, but I'm way better at League."

"Ah, my situation is similar. I play a lot of those two as well, but League is generally a lot lighter in my opinion. Not so many game mechanics to keep track of. Much less complex. Saya and I end up playing it a lot at the LAN cafe near my place. If you don't mind my asking, what in-game name do you use?"

"Online, I go by ZeroTolerance...my League account is ranked pretty high actually." Takashi gasped. She looked over at him immediately. He was gaping at her, a stunned look on his face. "What? Something on my face?" Instinctively, she reached up to feel it.

Takashi recovered and said, "No, it's just surprising is all. I always wanted to meet the one behind ZeroTolerance. Actually, we've been playing together for a very long time together, Saeko-san. Saya too."

Saeko's brows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean, Takashi-kun?"

"Err...you're part of the top challenger team from this region, right? Oddballs Inc.,?"

Saeko looked surprised. "How'd you know?" "Well, Saya and I also play on the same team..."

Saeko clapped her mouth over her hand. "No way in hell! What do you two go by?"

"I go by MechaKid, and Saya goes by BubblegumPink..."

"Wow! Mech and Bubble! Mech with all that utility, initiation and teamfight-oriented jungling. And Bubble with the insane mechanics. You two are Mech and Bubble! I always enjoy playing on mid when you jungle, just because it almost always results in some sort of advantage when you gank. And the understanding you and Bubble display, it's way beyond telepathic...sometimes, it feels like you two are a single unit."

"Yeah, Saya is kind of a monster mechanically; it kinda figures that she'd jump at playing Vayne whenever she could. I kind of do better making plays, and I started off supporting her down bot, before moving to the jungle. I guess that's how my play-style came about. I like tanking up damage for my carries. But you're no slouch either, Zero. Your assassin plays on the likes of Akali and Katarina are the stuff of legends in this part of the world."

Saeko laughed. "Haha, yeah. But we're the top team around...it's nice to finally meet some members though."

"Yeah! But, we haven't been able to replicate that on DotA."

"It's better to focus on one game if you're good at it, I guess."

Takashi ran his hand through his hair. "Well, it is kind of sad that we use those voice filters so people don't know who you really are...or maybe, we'd have been friends much earlier, eh?"

"As far as I'm concerned, we were friends before, even if we didn't know it...I mean, it's been over 2 years since we formed the team and won all those online tournaments."

"Yeah, this zombie apocalypse thing had to happen a month before the first offline LAN event in Japan too, or we could have finally met", said Takashi, almost petulantly.

Saeko laughed and slipped her hand back in his. "The view's beautiful, you can see most of Tokonosu from here…", she commented, looking out into the world beyond, from their spot on top of the hill, just outside the shrine.

"Yeah, but its kinda sad right? A majority of the people who used to live here are undead by now… Life as we know it in this place, it's never gonna come back…"

"I guess we remember that it was peaceful once, you know, and take strength from the memories we have of those happier times. Make sure we survive so we can live to see a better future…"

Takashi squeezed her hand. "Yeah. I just hope that all of us can be together, in one piece, when it all ends, if it does. I don't know why, but I feel a sort of kinship with everyone, like a bond... it's weird."

"Nah, it's not weird at all. I feel the same way, it's been less than a week, and I've come to respect and rely upon people I barely used to know… maybe this is why I trained so much… so that I could help protect at least a few when shit hits the fan like now."

Takashi laughed. "That's one way to look at it. Though, I'm pretty damn sure there's no way anyone could have predicted this happening… Kinda hard to see something you see only in horror games and movies brought to life like this."

"Yeah…" Something had been bothering Saeko for a while, and she decided to bring it up. "Takashi, there's something I needed to ask your opinion on, why do you think this started happening? Like is it some sort of supernatural thing? Or is it some virus or biological agent?"

Takashi frowned, deep in thought. "Hmm, Saya and I were actually discussing this yesterday… she seemed to think it was biological, like you. I tend to agree with her hunches most of the time, I mean the girl is a genius, after all… but, you know, if it's biological, then it's damn troubling, know what I mean?"

Saeko nodded. "Yeah, we can't be sure if it's a weapon, you know, to start a war, or an experiment gone bad, or just some sick freak trying to create a new world order or something."

"That last possibility you suggested, was it inspired by Biohazard?"

Saeko smiled at Takashi. "Yeah, actually; it's a really cool series. I've played all of the 4 titles."

"Yeah, me too… who's your favorite character?"

"Definitely Leon. Chris seems too much like a brainless meathead, and he never really appealed to me. The female leads are nice too, Jill, Claire, Ada… How about you?"

"It's a toss-up between Jill and Ada… they're both so cool, so bad-ass and tough…"

Saeko smirked at Takashi and whispered in his ear, "Oh? So you like strong, tough girls, do you, Takashi-kun?"

Takashi went red. "Er, umm… well, they're also well written… I mean, they're attractive, but it's not just that…"

Saeko laughed. "Oh, man. It's just so hard to resist teasing you. You get embarrassed so easily!"

Takashi huffed. "Well, I'm just not used to so much of it, is all. Before, all I had to face were Saya's numerous declarations of my general stupidity, and very occasionally, Rei used to tease me for kicks. With you, it seems like you find something to embarrass me with on an hourly basis."

Saeko laughed. Then, she said earnestly, "If you don't like it, or if it's making you too uncomfortable, you can tell me to stop, ya know."

Takashi smiled and replied, "Nah, I don't mind. It takes your mind off things, you know, doing this, a bit of ribbing, bantering back and forth… its one of the few things left for us to preserve our sanity at this point. And it's important that we do."

"Yeah… well, this is one fucked up situation the world threw at us. We're just lucky to be in one piece and with friends we can count on. Count the small blessings, I guess. I mean, today, I finally find out that I've been travelling with two of my team-mates from my favourite on-line game all along."

They stood outside for a while, just enjoying each other's company. In the distance, they could hear the ATV still running, stuck in the fountain below.

Presently, Takashi said, "Well, we have an early morning tomorrow. We'd better get some rest. Do you think one of us should keep watch?"

Saeko considered. "The shrine door is pretty sturdy, if we lock it down, it should be fine. Even barricade it a bit if you want to feel safer. I really don't see why we should deprive ourselves a good night's rest. I'd say we earned it. It has been a hell of a day."

"I'd tend to agree with you on that."

"Good, let's get back inside then."

She held out her hand. Takashi took it and they walked back into the shrine, locking the big door behind them. Takashi produced a sheet of linen from one of his backpacks and spread it on top of the carpet in the shrine. He took out another sheet and was about to spread it a slight distance away from the first sheet, when Saeko said, "The one sheet looks big enough, don't you think. Besides, we could use the other sheet to cover up in case it gets cold."

Takashi replied, "How so?", unsure of what Saeko meant. "Er, unless we sleep, you know, together, close to each other, that sheet won't be near enough."

Saeko smiled seductively and asked softly, "Why, Takashi? Don't you wanna sleep next to me?"

Takashi went red. "Er, no… I mean, yes, that'd be nice, I mean…"

Saeko smirked smugly at him stumbling over himself in his attempt to produce a coherent reply.

He stopped, looked at her and said, "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" rather indignantly.

Saeko giggled and replied, "Yeah, probably way more than I should."

Takashi scratched the back of his head. "I was wondering, what exactly are we now, Saeko-san?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, is there something concrete between us… are we like a couple or something?"

Saeko considered. "A couple, huh… that works…for now. But what about Saya-san?", she said.

"Saya? How does she enter the picture?" he asked, puzzled.

Saeko smiled. "Takashi, you two are close...The way you describe what you two are to each other, it's clear that you two are partners in every sense of the word. Now, if we were to be an exclusive couple, I'd feel like I was coming between the two of you."

Takashi looked questioningly at her. "But Saya and I, we've never even once talked about going out...or being a couple."

"Have you thought about it, ever?"

"Not really...she was always, just there, you know, just like I was always just there for her. I mean, I've honestly never thought of her as someone I needed to ask to go out with me. Now that I think of it, maybe we did do a lot of things that may have made us look like a couple, but it wasn't how we thought about it...for us, it was just natural."

"Let me ask you something, Takashi. Imagine Saya were to get a boyfriend tomorrow. What would be your first reaction? How would you treat the one she was dating?"

Takashi considered. "I guess I'd be happy that she was happy...I'd be suspicious of the guy, yeah, but I trust Saya."

"And if he ever mistreated her, what would you do?"

Takashi considered, and admitted, "I'd probably do something...quite extreme."

"Did Saya ever approve of Rei?"

"No, come to think of it, they never got along. She used to put up with her for my sake, if we were doing anything together."

"You know, I think that was one of the reasons you never really tried to initiate anything with Rei. I mean, she's an attractive girl, reasonably smart and obviously popular, and she pined for you. But, subconsciously, maybe your mind rebelled against looking at someone whom Saya didn't completely approve of, as a possible candidate for a relationship."

"So what's your point, Saeko-san? Are you suggesting that I ask Saya out because...we depend on each other too much?"

"I believe you should, yes. But, that doesn't necessarily mean you need to be exclusive."

Takashi looked even more surprised. "Are you suggesting that I have more than one girlfriend."

"It isn't particularly strange. Have you looked at the composition of the group? The world is rather upside down now, and societal conventions don't really matter overmuch. To tell you the truth, I do like you, though I'm not sure whether you feel the same way, or if you just felt sorry for me and wanted to make me feel better." She gave him a weak smile.

Takashi then surprised Saeko by pulling her into a hug, and kissing her forcefully. Overcoming her initial surprise, Saeko responded the best she could, tangling her hand in his hair, pressing herself to him. Eventually, they broke apart for air, breathless, a trail of saliva connecting their mouths.

"Does that answer your question?", asked Takashi. Saeko nodded. "I think I need to give you a proper confession...so just play along, all right."

Saeko nodded, unsure of what to expect. Takashi's face took on a serious look, and he said, "Saeko, I have something to tell you. It's important."

Saeko played along. "Yes, Takashi-kun, go on."

Takashi gathered his thoughts and began, "I've known you only a short while, but I really like you… a lot. I've always admired you, and thought you were this amazing girl that I could never hope to be with. But the last few days have changed that, and what I feel is that despite everything that's happened, one good thing about it was that I met you, and actually got to know you." He paused, and then went on, "I'm not the most decisive kinda guy, I tend to drift along and react rather than act, but this is one of the times that I'm completely sure I want something. And it's this - I want to be a part of your life, get to know you better, be there for you whenever you need me, and cheer you up whenever you feel down. I'd ask you out on a date, but the whole world-ending-around-us thing put an indefinite plug on that plan, so to speak. So, what I'm asking is… will you let me be your boyfriend?"

Saeko didn't speak for a while. When she did, her voice was filled with emotion, "Thank you, Takashi. That felt really nice… You're the first person I ever spoke to of my inner darkness, and you accepted it without question…you've been such a brick to me - you didn't yell at me for freezing up earlier in the park and almost getting us killed - hell, you saved my life then. After that, you did your best to stop me beating myself up, tried to help me overcome the doubts that still plague me. I really needed that, you know, needed someone to just accept all of me… so yes, if you're really sure you're okay with someone like me, I'd like to be your girlfriend. And like I said, I do not mind sharing. To tell you the truth, maybe I even find girls attractive too" She smiled warmly at him.

"Ehh...You mean..."

Saeko blushed slightly and looked away. "You know, the one whom I had a crush on before was actually a girl...my senpai from the kendo club."

"Er, where is she now, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I had to cut her down, when the outbreak began. She got bitten trying to save an underclassman...and before she died, she confessed to me. I was happy despite the situation, we kissed, and she inevitably begged me to end her. And so, I had to. I killed the girl I liked for so long, out of mercy. I had to prevent her from turning."

Takashi was shocked. "I don't know what to say to that, honestly. It seems so...cruel." Saeko looked at him evenly.

"There isn't anything to say really, is there. We've had to do that sort of thing a whole lot."

"Yeah..."

Saeko brightened up suddenly. "But, I got to meet you and Saya and everyone else. I got myself a group I could actually belong to where I was treated as an equal, and not as some queen expected to lead all the time. So, enough of the morbidity. I think we should seal the deal, you know."

"Okay, how? Shaking hands again?", asked Takashi.

"I was thinking something more...intimate", she said, smiling crookedly at him.

"A kiss?"

"That'd do."

Saeko wrapped her arms around Takashi's neck, and Takashi held Saeko in a tight embrace as they drew in to kiss each other. It was slow, languid kiss, both parties content to just enjoy the feel of the other's lips against their own, take in each other's taste, happy just to communicate their emotions for one another through the contact.

-0-

Takashi and Saeko lay next to each other on the sheet Takashi had laid out, Takashi on his back, Saeko on her side, with her arm draped over his chest. Takashi's left hand absently played with Saeko's violet tresses. He thought they were beautiful. They were generally talking, about each other, about the people in their lives, their situation, and video games.

Eventually, Saeko drifted off to sleep. Takashi found himself nodding off as well. Just before sleep took him, Takashi randomly remembered his late friend Morita's infamous list. Of lewd fantasies related to girls in their school. Top of the list was Saeko Busujima in nothing but an apron and a thong. Takashi's lips curved in a sly smile. He'd actually seen that. If people knew about it, they'd be so freaking jealous. With that happy thought, Takashi drifted off.


	4. Reunion

-Reunion-

Saya awoke early. She was worried about Takashi and Saeko. As soon as she finished her morning activities, she sat down on a chair in the balcony that overlooked the rear entrance. The entrance they would have to come by. She noticed Alice and Kohta playing downstairs with Zeke. Shizuka had stayed in Rei's room, so she could be close at hand in case Rei needed anything. Saya had a book on guns with her to help pass the time. At regular intervals, she looked over to the gate, to see if she could spy them coming up.

And so, she sat and waited expectantly…

-0-

Saeko awoke from the best sleep she'd had in a while. She had drooled…again. Quickly, she wiped her mouth with her right hand. She then realized that Takashi was on his side, head supported by his left elbow. He smirked at her knowingly.

He asked, "Had a good night?"

She smiled back as innocently as she could. "Yeah… Slept well for the first time in a while", she admitted.

"Good. Me too."

"Been up long?"

"Maybe ten minutes or less. I thought of waking you, but you just seemed so peaceful that I couldn't bear to disturb you. Plus, it was kinda cute that you still drool." His smirk grew wider on adding the last comment.

"Is that so? I think that comment calls for some punishment", said Saeko, before leaping up and pouncing on him.

"Hey…", yelped Takashi in surprise. Suddenly, he found Saeko on top of him.

She kissed him forcefully and passionately. Takashi responded in kind. When they broke away, Saeko sighed in happiness. Takashi smiled and commented, "You know, I could get used to waking up like that every morning."

Saeko swatted him on his chest playfully. "Yeah, I'm sure you would."

She got up and stretched her back. "Well, is there any water in this shrine?"

"Yeah, I saw a tap at the back. Not sure if it has any left though."

Takashi got up and led his (now) girlfriend to where the tap was. Luckily, it still had running water. They cleaned up, and got ready to leave.

Outside the shrine, Takashi reloaded his gun. He'd transferred everything they might possibly need into one backpack and gotten rid of the other.

Saeko carried the katana Takashi had given her and stood by his side.

"Well, Saeko-chan. Ready to head out?"

"Yeah, Takashi-kun. Let's get going."

The two made their way down the stairs to a level concrete field. Hordes of Them had clustered all around the area blocking their route.

"Saeko, we need to take them out to clear a path", said Takashi looking over to Saeko.

Saeko was looking at the ground, her eyes covered by her hair. She wasn't moving.

Takashi put his hand on her shoulder, and asked, "Saeko?"

She looked up at Takashi with a hunted expression on her face. "I can't do it, Takashi-kun. Not after finally allowing myself to feel… I'm scared I'll lose myself and I don't want that…"

Takashi quickly went behind her and reached across to grope her left breast. Saeko grunted in surprise. She looked back and cried, "Takashi, what…"

Takashi started talking in an uncharacteristically harsh tone. "Saeko, I have told you this before, and I'll tell you again – you are one of the greatest girls I've ever met. I'll always think that, no matter what. I don't care what happened before. I would have gone the whole way and killed that son of a bitch. And he would've deserved it. But, at this moment, what I want most in this universe is to try and build a life with you in a normal world, free of all this bullshit. And for that to happen, I can't let it end like this. I need both of us, and everyone else to survive until this is over, so that we can actually live our lives in peace. In happiness. We need to believe that's still possible. You need to believe it's worth fighting for."

He squeezed harder, and Saeko cried out in pain. His voice rose. "Please, Saeko, I need you. I'm not letting you quit on me now. If you need a reason to fight, then fight for me, for us, for everyone else and the future we need to have a chance to experience."

Saeko suddenly calmed down. She felt rejuvenated; her mind was focused on only one thing now - to protect Takashi. It was finally free of the doubt and turmoil that had plagued her since the last night, all thanks to his encouragement.

"Takashi, thank you. I'm okay now… You can let me go", she said, in a clear voice.

Takashi relinquished his grasp on her left breast and turned her around. He kissed her passionately and smiled warmly. "Need any help?", he enquired.

Saeko smiled back. "I got this, don't worry."

So saying, she turned away, faced the onrushing undead horde and took a deep breath. She took her stance and leapt right into battle, sword flashing at a blinding pace. Five of Them fell. Takashi watched with pride and awe as she gracefully jumped from one place to another, swinging her sword, and cutting them down. He thought that she was the Goddess of Death herself, a divine protector. This was the woman he was falling in love with. And, as he came to that realization watching her fight, he felt something stir in the depths of his heart.

Midway through, Saeko started laughing. This was wonderful! This was her, this was what she needed. She had nothing to hold her back. Barely a few minutes after she'd started, only five undead remained of the thirty or so that had originally gathered. They were closer to Takashi than they were to her. She sheathed her sword. "Yo, Takashi. Take care of the last ones, will ya?"

Takashi came out of his trance when Saeko called out to him.

"Yes, ma'am", said Takashi, setting off to the last group. He shot three of them right in the face and bashed the other two on their heads. He reloaded his gun, straightened himself out and ran over to join his companion.

She tilted her head slightly and said, "Not bad."

He reached her and replied, "That's what I was going for."

He caught his breath for a second before saying, "Come on, this way", and setting off down the stairs and on to a road toward their destination, the Takagi mansion. He ran along the road, Saeko trailing him by a few metres. Halfway down, Saeko called out, "Takashi, wait…"

Takashi stopped to look back at her, and she ran up and grabbed his hand. She looked at him in the eyes, and asked him, "You meant it right? What you said back there?"

Takashi smiled at her warmly, before exclaiming, "Hell yeah!"

Suddenly, a guilty look crossed his face. He looked away from her.

Saeko asked him, "What's wrong?"

"Sorry about earlier, you know, the groping… it was a horrible thing to do… I hope you can forgive me…I'll understand completely if you wanna dump me."

Saeko turned his face toward her, and smiled at him reassuringly, "You did what you had to do to wake me up, and I get that. It's all right." She decided she couldn't resist yet another dig at her new boyfriend. "Next time, though, don't squeeze so hard. Girls are kinda sensitive there, you know." And as if to emphasize her point, she gingerly massaged her left breast.

Takashi's face went crimson and he looked away.

"Uhh, yeah… there you go again."

She turned his face towards her and kissed him gently. "It's okay, really... We don't need to rush now right? There don't seem to be any of Them left…"

"I guess not", he replied, draping his free left arm over her shoulder. She held on to his hand with her own right hand as they made their way, half hugging each other toward Saya's mansion.

-0-

Zeke suddenly barked. Alice looked towards the gate, and yelled. "Uncle Kohta, its Takashi-nii-chan! And Saeko-nee-chan!"

Saya heard Alice's screams and saw Takashi and Saeko coming toward the back gate, half hugging each other. She smiled slightly to herself and thought, "Well, what do you know! He actually did it this time. And for the better."

She called out, "Open the gate!" A voice replied, "Yes ma'am."

The gate opened to admit the two into the estate. Alice and Zeke ran off to greet them, with Kohta walking behind her. Saya ran down the stairs and made her way to them as well.

Alice jumped into Saeko's arms and hugged her, while Kohta went over and slapped Takashi on the shoulder. Saya reached them last and hugged Takashi and Saeko in turn.

She stepped back and asked pointedly, "So, Takashi. Anything you wanna tell me?"

"Er, I went to that sandbox in the river. You know the one I promised to take you to."

Saya suddenly looked furious, launched herself at Takashi, and started raining punches down upon him. "How could you, Takashi? You promised to take me too… you're such a meanie…"

Takashi grabbed her by the shoulders and said, "Hey, calm down. We can always go later…"

She looked up at him. "Is that a promise?"

Takashi smiled and said, "Yeah, definitely."

Saya calmed down and smiled back.

This time, she looked at Takashi and Saeko at the same time. "All right, let me rephrase that previous question. Takashi and Saeko, anything you wanna tell me?"

Saeko laughed, "It's just like you said. She knows you inside out."

"Yeah…", said Takashi.

"So you two are officially together then?", asked Saya.

Takashi and Saeko looked at each other and nodded back at Saya. "I guess", admitted Saeko.

Saya smiled at Takashi. "You know, Takashi, for the first time in my life, I'm actually proud of you."

Takashi frowned at that. "Oh come on! There must have been other times…right?"

"Not that I can remember. But anyhow, I'm happy for you two. And I'm especially happy that this numbskull here", indicating Takashi, "actually acted on his instinct and tried to make his own happiness, for once in his life."

It seemed to Saeko, that Saya's cheeriness was rather forced, though. It was nothing unexpected to her, though, since her intuition had told her that Saya and Takashi belonged together.

Saya walked off toward the mansion. "Come on, let's go", she called over her shoulder.

Kohta clapped Takashi on his back. "Nice going, Komuro, Busujima. Must have been one hell of a trip."

"Thanks, Hirano...and yeah, it sure was!", replied Takashi. Both he and his girlfriend smiled at Kohta. He nodded and followed Takagi back to the mansion.

Alice asked Saeko, "So, you and Takashi-nii are now girlfriend-boyfriend?", to which Saeko replied, "Yes, Alice-chan. Seems like it…"

"That's so cool. Alice wishes she has a nice boyfriend like Takashi-nii one day too", said Alice, wistfully.

Takashi blushed at this. Saeko laughed and said, "I'm sure you'll get your wish, Alice-chan. Now take Zeke and follow Kohta-kun and Saya-san. We'll be right behind you all."

"Okay", said Alice, and called to Zeke, "Come here, Zeke, we gotta go inside." She and the dog ran off behind Kohta.

Saeko looked back at Takashi and held out her free hand. Takashi took it and they walked toward the mansion.


	5. Mansion - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The entire DEAD Squad from Fujimi High made it to the Takagi Mansion with no casualties. This is close to where the anime ended, and also pretty close to where the manga stopped (it’s been brought to my attention that it restarted – Yayy! I also found out Black Lagoon came back too… Double Yayy!!)
> 
> Be warned, I will be making some minor changes and one major change to how it all went down.
> 
> Oh and I don’t know Japanese names and their meanings, so I just named characters based on what sounded nice to me. I realize that it may not make much sense when translated. If somebody does know Japanese, and finds that a name I’ve given a character makes no sense, please do let me know. I’ll change it. (I mean I don’t want to have a character whose name is ‘One who eats a goat’ or something like that – that’s just stupid, ya know)
> 
> Oh and a weird fact I found googling ‘Yuriko Takagi’ – she’s apparently a princess in the Imperial Family.
> 
> And I realized I’ve been using purple and violet interchangeably to describe Saeko’s hair color… for future reference, its violet.
> 
> Anyway, reviews, criticism and praise appreciated as always :)

-Mansion Part 1-

Takashi woke up. On a soft bed. He immediately felt around for his gun. He couldn't find it. Belatedly, he looked around, took in his surroundings. A chair, a table and a wardrobe. Light streaming in through an ornate window. It was quite early; the sun had obviously just come out. And, he remembered where he was. They were safe. For now. At Saya's family estate.

Saeko and he had joined the others there yesterday. He thought back to the events at the shrine. It brought a smile to his face - a rare occurrence these days. He wondered where his new girlfriend and the rest of the group were. They needed to talk.

The previous afternoon, evening and night, there hadn't been much time. Everyone had gone about their own business. Kohta took care of their guns and ammo supply, and kept an eye on Alice and Zeke. Saya had either spent her time arguing with her mother, or learning how to use the Luger her mother had given her, Kohta overseeing these training sessions. Shizuka had continued to keep a close watch on Rei, and Saeko and Takashi had slept most of the time. Together, in the same room, on the same bed.  
Saeko had insisted on it, funnily enough. She wanted to spend as much time together as possible, what with death staring them in the face every moment, she had said. He had given in without much of a fight. He was too sleepy to argue. Belatedly, he wondered where she was.

Takashi wondered how Rei was doing. She was the only one in the group who'd suffered an injury, though if Shizuka was to be believed, it was not as bad as it could have been. Of course, he'd been dragged in to help Shizuka play doctor, holding Rei down while she applied some ointment and massaged it into her back. Rei had screamed through the entire ordeal - whether she was actually in that much pain was something Takashi had his own doubts about. Shizuka also seemed to take an inordinate amount of pleasure from doing her thing, cooing happily as she felt Rei's body. (Once again, Takashi had found himself wondering about the medic. More specifically, her sexual orientation) Maybe that had added to Rei's discomfort?

He hadn't told her yet about being with Saeko. Shizuka had warned him against doing it until Rei was completely healed. Saeko had agreed. Takashi didn't see what all the fuss was about.

He got up and made his way to the bathroom, and washed the sleep from his eyes. He found a freshly laundered towel nearby and used it. "Damn, this mansion's fucking better than a five star hotel", he thought as he made his way out of his room. He walked out onto a corridor, and made his way to a balcony that overlooked the river.

It was a beautiful view. The park, the river, nature all around. Takashi found it soothing.

He suddenly heard a shout. "Saya", he thought.

Then immediately afterward, somebody different shouting. "Her mother", he thought. Then, a door slammed. He heard footsteps down the corridor.

Takashi shook his head wryly and smiled. He was used to these fights between mother and daughter.

-0-

Yuriko Tanaka was a beautiful woman. Long light-purple hair, with eyes to match, elegant, graceful, and tall for a Japanese lady. She could have passed off for a supermodel, but Takashi knew that she was a genius like her daughter, probably smarter than her, and held at least three concurrent appointments on the boards of different Fortune 100 companies. She had a double PhD, in Finance and in Statistics, both earned within a period of three years at Harvard, and Takashi knew that some of her theories on international financial management were used as the gold standard in the industry. After getting her PhDs, she had made a name for herself as one of the most successful traders on Wall Street. Then, she married Souichiro Takagi, over 15 years her senior, when she'd been 22, drawn to the man's charismatic personality and noble ideals. Saya had been born a year later, which put Yuriko's current age at about 40. She didn't look a day over 25. She hadn't taken on her husband's name after marriage, instead focusing on forging her own identity. Her husband was a political leader, an exponent of ultra-nationalist ideals, a member of the Diet, very close to the Prime Minister and other major ministers of the cabinet. He was also a well-known student of Master Busujima, who was incidentally Saeko's father, and a legend of the Japanese Special Forces, being one of its most decorated operatives. All in all, the Takagi family was one of the most respected families in Japan. Also, quite obviously one of its richest.

Takashi's own family had known the Takagis for the longest time. Takashi's father, Hideaki Komuro was a well-known telecommunications engineer. He and Souichiro had been childhood friends, had served in the army together, and had even retired from active service together. Now, Hideaki was an R&D consultant for a major multinational telecom company of Japanese origin. He spent most of his time abroad. Takashi's mother, on the other hand, had a PhD in Medicine, and headed one of the most advanced cancer research facilities in the world, at Tokonosu City. She was one of Yuriko's oldest friends, having met her in Boston, when Yuriko had been at Harvard, and she herself had been at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Six years her senior, she lacked Yuriko's bloody-mindedness and aptitude for business, but she was a brilliant and dedicated scientist. She loved her son, and he loved her, but much like Yuriko and Saya, they just did not know how to show it to each other. Plus, the fact that he was an aimless teenager trying to find his way in life, more or less, caused no end of friction between the two. His mother was of the opinion that he demanded too little of himself, and that he lacked the focus and discipline she'd have expected of him.

Presently, Saya stomped her way through the corridor and down the stairs. Takashi was willing to bet good money that she'd be near the koi pond, watching the fishes swim. That always seemed to calm her down somehow.

Takashi decided to give her a bit of time to cool off before he went there. If things went as he expected them to, Yuriko would come seek him out to talk to him first.

He continued to gaze out at the view, a view he had seen so many times before, but never really appreciated fully. Now, it suddenly occurred to him that many of the things he had taken for granted, including this view from the balcony, would no longer be the same.

Presently, Yuriko walked in to the balcony and stood beside him. As expected.

"A penny for your thoughts, Takashi-kun."

He looked at her. She wore a long red dress that accentuated her figure in all the right places. She really was beautiful.

He replied, "I was just thinking, Mrs. Tanaka. This mansion is so beautiful. I've spent a lot of time here, you know, with Saya, and I've looked out this balcony at this very view so many times before. But, I've never realized how beautiful it was. Till today." A sigh. "With the apocalypse, the new world order and all that jazz, it really brings home the fact that everything is so fragile. What you took for granted, it'll all be gone… It's kind of sad."

She considered for a moment, before replying. "I see what you mean. There is no question that this mansion will soon fall, that it is living on borrowed time. But, you didn't have to be so blunt about it, you know." She gave him a small smile. She looked around. "This will all be gone soon", she said, in a faraway voice.

Takashi said, "I'm sorry, ma'am. I didn't mean to upset you."

Yuriko snapped back to reality, and smiled warmly at Takashi. "No, Takashi, you call it as you see it. The world could do with more of that kind of brutal honesty. Your brand of bluntness is exactly what you and your group will need to survive this."

The two stood side-by-side on the balcony, a comfortable silence settling over them.

At length, Takashi asked, "So Mrs. Tanaka, you wanna tell me what it was about this time?"

Yuriko smirked, sensing that Takashi had guessed what would happen.

"Please, do call me Yuriko. You're old enough to be treated an equal now. And it almost seems like every time you come here, my daughter and I have a fight, and you need to patch things up between us, Takashi-kun. You're a regular peacemaker."

Takashi blushed at the comment. Was it a compliment?

He replied, "What can I say? I can't stand seeing conflict and discord. Especially between two people who love each other more than anything else in the world, but just can't seem to find a way to express it. And well, Saya has always been there for me, been my friend, helped me figure things out… I guess I owe it to her."

Yuriko smiled warmly at the boy whom she'd known since he was little more than a baby. To see him grow up into such a fine young man – it was something that gave her no small amount of happiness.

"About your question, Takashi, Saya and I had a slight… disagreement about how we needed to approach the current situation. As you may have expected, it turned into one of our distressingly regular shouting matches and culminated in her stomping off in frustration."

"The end of the world and all that? Any idea what's been happening?"

"I guess you wouldn't know much about events outside your group. You have been rather busy doing what you can to keep your asses in one piece, after all."

Takashi was struck by the thought that he really liked talking to Yuriko. It was probably down to how she subtly inserted humor into any dialogue.

Meanwhile, Yuriko gathered her thoughts. "Well, as you know, the undead suddenly started sprouting up about a week ago. And from what I've heard, they're not restricted to just Japan, either. Their origin remains unclear, but I'd hazard a guess at it being biological, since it seems to be transmitted to you if you have the misfortune of being bitten by an affected specimen. But, that's on a macro scale. It isn't really a pressing concern as far as we go."

She paused, and then continued. "You know that Tokonosu gets its water and electricity from the dam at Okunako, right?"

Takashi nodded.

"The undead are everywhere, they're attacking any living being in sight, every human who isn't like them. Soon, the workers will have to abandon the water and power plants, and without maintenance, the plants will obviously stop running. My husband plans to go in a bus with anyone able and willing to fight and carry their own weight, and take control of the plants, so that survivors may at least have clean running water, and possibly electricity for a time, while evacuations take place."

Takashi considered this in silence. "So what was the argument with Saya about? Is she opposed to Takagi-sama's plan?"

"Do you know about my husband, Takashi-kun."

"Not much, admittedly. I do know that he heads the local faction of the ultra-nationalist party at Tokonosu City. I've also heard some of his history from my father. By all accounts, he is an honorable Japanese man", said Takashi.

"Yes…yes, he is", said Yuriko.

"Though, I have to say, I tend to be wary of politicians. No offense to you or your husband."

"None taken. On a related note, is it that you believe in a different political ideology?"

"No, not really. It isn't something I really have an opinion on. You could say that I'm one of Japan's many aimless youth, unsure of what we want to do, hopeful that we find it someday."

"So, you are against a society with norms, where everyone knows their place?"

Takashi thought for a bit. "A society where each individual has free will, and isn't constrained by the place they are given by those that are supposedly their betters, that sounds nice. I wouldn't say I support an anomie though. Social norms are required to maintain some semblance of order. Otherwise, there'd be anarchy. Then again, you don't want there to be an inordinately high number of norms that society becomes constricting. You'd have riots then, eventually."

"A final question. Do you find Japanese society too constricting?"

Takashi considered that for a slightly longer time. "On the whole, I'd have to say, yes. My upbringing, and my family are not typical of Japanese society, so I'm not someoen who can speak from experience. But by nature, Asian societies, especially the ones in Japan, are extremely collectivistic, and that by itself indicates that it is characterized by an inordinately large number of social norms. I'd prefer it to be more individualistic, but this is a 17-year old high school student's opinion."

Yuriko laughed. "I believe you are much smarter than even Saya gives you credit for. You'll excuse me for criticizing you, but you are wasting your potential."

Takashi smiled. "She tells me that every week. As do my parents. I believe you have mentioned this yourself a few times previously, Yuriko-san. It used to be frustrating, but I came to a realization last year. An epiphany, if you will. It is this: unless you have a purpose you can work toward, some goal you want to see accomplished, that you can put your entire body, mind and soul into, you aren't going to ever use the entire range of skill or ability you possess."

"Since you've been honest with your views, let me tell you now, my husband's political ideology isn't something I'm a supporter of", said Yuriko.

Takashi looked surprised. "From what Saya tells me, you handle the finances for your husband?"

"That is just one of my many jobs, Takashi-kun. I'm paid damn well for doing it, I do it damn well and that's why I do it."

Yuriko sighed. "I'm sure you've realized by now, but our family is not normal. Saya and I have a weird dynamic. I'd be the first to admit that I'm not a conventional parent. I don't believe that's necessarily a bad thing, however. Saya is unbelievably talented, and has always had you to keep her grounded when she gets too flighty. As for Souichiro and I, well, have an even weirder relationship. Weird by Japanese standards, I mean. We love each other, but we don't see each other more than 50 days in a year and even then, no more than 2 days at a time. I believe that truly is the secret to a long marriage between two strong-willed people like us, you know - see each other as little as possible."

Takashi laughed, while Yuriko simply smiled mischievously before she went on. "But, he loves his family, especially Saya, more than anything. He is a hard man, but fair in his dealings. He truly does believe he is working towards a better, stronger country, and I can respect that, even though it's not something I'd want to be an active part of. I'll carry out my duties and responsibilities the best I can, as will he. Beyond that, we are rather individualistic, as you call it. That's one reason why I didn't take on his name after marriage. I wanted to have my own identity, you know."

Takashi considered what Yuriko had said.

Yuriko went on, "But I digress. We were talking about the disagreement my daughter and I had. Firstly, I'd like to say that your group has done admirably to just stay alive this long. All of you have a great will to survive. But, you need to realize this - if you do follow Souichiro, then you'll need to live by his rules. As I said, he is a hard man, and he expects people under him to follow him to the letter. Saya realizes this all too well. Pure authority is something that she is dead against. She doesn't believe this sort of rule should be imposed especially now, upon a fragmented society such as the one in the world we are now faced with. I can understand her concern. But, I honestly can see no better alternative. She wishes to help you find your own parents, as I believe that was your next course of action. This is not the sort of thing my husband would sanction. So, if you want to find your parents, you will find no help from his side."

Takashi said, "I can understand his concerns. But, I have to search for my parents. Rei's, too. I will not force the others to come along. I know Saeko will probably want to, considering recent events, and possibly Kohta too. But, we haven't actually talked about it yet."

Yuriko considered for a few moments, then said, "I am not proud of what I tried to do, but my aim was convince her to join Souichiro's group, as I truly believe she has the greatest chance of survival there. I thought I was looking out for her. That was when the yelling started. She said that she didn't care about surviving, as long as she could be with the ones she cared about. That obviously meant you and your group. If this truly is the end of the world, and if we are doomed to die, then I suppose being in the company of those you care about, it's a good way to leave… you'll at least be happy when that time does come. Then, I asked her, in an equally raised voice, how she expected your group to survive, and whether all of you would even remain together, now that alternate paths had opened up. I rather foolishly added that she felt that way because her head was clouded by her love for you, and hence, her judgement wasn't the most sound. This was what set her off completely, so to speak. She just yelled 'You'll see', before she stomped off. I was a bit upset myself, and I understand where she gets her proclivity to throw tantrums from. I used to be like her too, once. Being older, I guess I've mellowed down somewhat. Though, I rather pride myself on the ability to find ways to bait her."

She paused, and looked Takashi squarely in the eye. "I must confess - I do not know what I will do myself. I thought that following my husband's group would be the best path to choose. But, I can appreciate the fact that Saya is almost as intelligent as I am, if not more, and it is obvious she has seen an alternate path, one that involves you and your group of survivors. I do believe she thinks you will be central to the group's continued existence. I would like to be wherever she is… I realize that I haven't been the best parent, and that I may have been too caught up in my own pursuits. But now, with all that's happened, I need to face the fact that I may have missed my most obvious responsibility. If at all possible, I'd like to atone at least partially for it, and do everything I can to protect her. To that end, I would like to request a favor of you."

"Please go ahead, Yuriko-san", replied Takashi, who had been listening intently.

"Would you consider including me in your group if Saya and you decide not to follow her father? Of course, I will aid you however I can… your mother, Sora is one of my oldest friends, after all, and I would like to see her safe as much as you."

Takashi looked surprised. "Of course. You have my full support to come along. Why would you think otherwise? Saya may be angry at first, but I know she truly does care for you. She'll come around. And when I think back, our group did form purely by coincidence. I would never deny anyone the opportunity to travel with us if they wanted to, as long as they don't intend to harm us."

Yuriko considered him for a moment, and then said, "You are rather naïve, Takashi-kun. You do realize that every group has a dynamic, right? Eventually, there will be someone the group looks to for leadership, there will be those who specialize in certain tasks, there will be the thinkers, those that plan ahead, and there will be people who perform odd jobs, who don't really fit in any of the former categories. I do believe that in your little group, whether you realize it or not, you have become the leader. This was why I asked you to consider bringing me along. But, as Saya would undoubtedly tell you, it isn't a decision to be taken lightly. Too many strong-willed individuals trying to exert their influence…it can fragment and destroy a group, make their survival even more difficult than it already is."

Takashi gaped at Yuriko. "Er, Yuriko-san, you seriously lost me there. Our group doesn't really have a leader per se; we just take what seems to be the best course of action. And as for my role, I'd probably be more along the lines of the odd-jobs man. I do a bit of everything."

"Takashi-kun, can you think back and tell me who suggested course of action your group takes. Who made the final call? Can you remember who galvanized everyone to follow that course?"

"Okay," said Takashi, as he frowned to remember how things had gone down. "Er, well, umm… I guess it was me?" He looked surprised.

Yuriko nodded slowly and smiled.

"Think about what I've said, Takashi-kun. Come find me later, once you've reached a decision."

Yuriko looked expectantly at Takashi, as he assimilated what she'd told him. He looked back at her, and said, "Well, Yuriko-san. I will do as you ask. You have made me realize that some…important decisions lie ahead. Thank you for your advice."

"Any time, Takashi-kun. I believe you know where to find Saya."

Takashi laughed. "You aren't gonna bait me into telling you, Yuriko-san. Saya told me specifically not to tell you about it almost ten years ago. I'm not about to break my promise to her now, after all this time. And, if I may, I have a question, you commented that Saya...loved me? Has she specifically told you something...about...you know, that?"

Yuriko uncharacteristically stuck her tongue out at him.

"Well, it was worth a shot, trying to trick you into telling me, and to answer your question, it is plain for everyone to see. Your parents and Souichiro and I have...expected you two to officially tell us for a long time. The amount of time you two spend together, your closeness, its almost as if you are both two sides of the same whole", she replied.

"Er...okay...to be completely honest, we just did what we did, because it just seemed...natural. We aren't erm...together, as such." Takashi blushed.

Yuriko looked slightly surprised. "Well, if you two do get together, you will find no opposition from either set of parents", she commented, winking at him.

Takashi nodded, and the two of them left the balcony and went down the stairs. They separated at the foot of the staircase, Takashi making his way towards the staircase that would lead him to the door, and Yuriko going the other way.

-0-

Saeko looked at the koi fish in the pond. She was dressed in a dark blue kimono with a floral pattern.

Saya stomped over to her 'mope spot', as Takashi called it. She just sat down and observed the fish swimming. She hadn't noticed Saeko. Saeko walked up to her, and kneeled beside her.

"These Goromo koi are quite exquisite. I do believe that one is a sumi variety. I have never seen one before", she commented.

Saya looked up at the violet-haired swords-mistress. "So you're good at kendo, you seem to know about a pastime as specialized as Japanese fish keeping. Your grades are good, and you've been raised to be the next master of a famous defense school. You must be one of those people who have everything figured out". She gave a bitter laugh.

Saeko bristled slightly at that. "I am good at a lot of things. And so are you, though the fields may differ. It doesn't mean I've figured out any more of life than you have", she said, evenly.

Saya felt sorry for her outburst. "I suppose that was uncalled for. I'm not in the best mood."

"Yes, I could make out. I'm guessing Takashi will come by soon to calm you down?"

"Why, what did he tell you?", asked Saya, suddenly angry at Takashi. How could he tell her about what went down between the two of them! And how much had he said!? Wasn't what happened between best friends sacred or something!?

Saeko sensed that Saya had read too much into her comment, and tried to calm down the sudden spike of anger she sensed in her friend. "Oh, no need to get angry at Takashi-kun. He didn't tell me anything about you two beyond the fact that you were extremely close. Well, he may have told me about that promise you two made to each other about going to that sandbar island… But, I only asked the question out of curiosity."

Saya calmed down slightly at that. Then, she remembered that she'd been meaning to tell Saeko something. Warn her, more like. "And about that, Takashi, I mean… He's been through a lot with that bitch, Rei. He was pretty cut up about it and took a long time to get over it. So, I need to know, are you serious about him?"

Saeko closed her eyes before she replied, "I can understand your concern, and all I can say is this – I would die before I ever hurt Takashi. I would like to be with him as long as he'll have me."

She opened her eyes and faced Saya. "Does that answer your question satisfactorily?"

Saya nodded.

Saeko then asked her back, "And I have a question for you. Do you love Takashi?"

Saya looked surprised, almost as if Saeko had dealt her a body blow. "What do you mean", she managed, weakly.

"I meant what I asked. Let me repeat the question though: Do you love Takashi?" She looked at Saya expectantly.

Saya looked away. "I don't know how to answer..."

"You're under no obligation to, Takagi-san. I am not going to judge you a threat because of your closeness to Takashi. In fact, with things the way they are, it may be a good thing...let me ask you another question: at Marikawa-san's friend's place, in the bath that night, how much did you enjoy fooling around? To put it more bluntly, how much did you like getting each other off in the hot tub?"

Saya blushed at this question, and looked back at Saeko with a hunted look. Then, her face took on a look of defiance, and she replied at length, in a harsh tone, "I liked it, all right! I feel like there are things only a girl can understand about pleasuring another girl...you got me right on my sensitive spots. And I liked reciprocting too. You were so responsive, and it made me feel good after a long fucked up day. As for Takashi, I really don't know... We've been inseparable since we were kids. Do I love him? Of course I do. I'd die for him, just as he'd die for me. We love each other, but whether we can be romantically involved, I've never thought of it...we've just always been together...the question just never popped up." Saya trailed off.

Saeko nodded. "It is as I expected. Personally, I enjoyed it a lot as well...in fact, let me tell you something about me. I think I'm bisexual. My only previous crush was on another girl...and I do not think it will be weird in the current world to have a three-way relationship at all."

Saya quickly connected the dots, got what was being suggested, then looked at Saeko in consternation.

"Are you saying that you are attracted to me?"

Saeko blushed slightly. "You are an extremely attractive girl with a genius intellect to match, and an extremely interesting personality, Takagi-san. You're not just a comrade-in-arms to me, you're one of my most loyal friends...And you've sort of been the first one whom I've done lewd things with. I know people say it doesn't count if it's between two girls, but I think that's just society's way of dealing with things it refuses to understand."

Saya smiled, for the first time in the conversation.

"I've never really thought about attractions to other people before, male or female. Guess I was missing out. I feel like I owe you an assessment as well...You are the epitome of a high school idol, cool, good at sports, smart, beautiful, the sort of person everyone can look up to...but beneath that, you are a loyal and true friend, the kind who puts herself on the line for others. I've seen that, time and again. And, I definitely felt kinda disturbed when Takashi told me you two were together. So what you say...makes some sense. And for whatever it's worth, I do agree with you...that sexual experience did count."

Saeko smiled back. "Thank you. Maybe we'll get to know each other better in future", batting her eyelashes.

Saya looked surprised. "Are you trying to flirt with me?", she asked, blushing hotly.

Saeko laughed, put her mouth to Saya's ear and whispered, "I don't know. Its's your choice, do you want to be flirted with?"

Saya felt her cheeks get even hotter, and suddenly found her face turned. Then, a soft pair of lips covering her own. Saeko was kissing her on the lips! And she liked it! Saya's mind shut down and her body instinctively responded by kissing back. Saeko sucked on her bottom lip and Saya's hands gripped the sides of Saeko's head, pulling her closer. And then, they broke apart. Saya's first kiss had been with a girl! As Saya recovered from the pleasant sensation, her mind began working once again, and she saw Saeko smiling at her. She smiled back tentatively, forgetting to act peeved, as was her custom.

Saeko looked away, and said, "You know, we knew each other even before this. Quite well, in fact".

Saya looked puzzled. "Nice to meet you BubblegumPink. ZeroTolerance, at your service", added Saeko.

Saya's face cleared up, and she looked wide-eyed at Saeko. "Zero? You're Zero!?"

Saeko nodded.

"It's a rather... small world, isn't it?", commented Saya, a look of wonder upon her face.

The two remained in their positions, simply looking at the fish now, Saya calming her rather stressed mind, Saeko just taking in the beauty of the place, and observing the different varieties the Takagis kept in their koi pond.

At length, Saya said, "You know, our lives have changed. Irreversibly. There will be no more kendo tournaments, or Science Olympiads. There will be no time to do stuff like keep koi fish and maintain a coin collection, or even go to the LAN event our team was looking forward to, where we'd finally meet each other. Everything that was once a part of what we considered normal, they're gone."

Saeko looked up and looked around the garden. "Yes, the world around us is rapidly altering. Human society is collapsing, and those who survive do what they feel is necessary. This is inevitable. The order will crumble, and I can't even predict if humanity will survive…What is important however, is to ensure that you protect what you truly care about for as long as you are able, and that you do not lose your humanity despite everything around you going to hell. Protect and cherish your friends, fight your enemies and do what it takes for a better future. That is what I believe."

Saya considered this for a moment. "In the current situation, I guess that's about the best you can do, isn't it?"

Saeko nodded slowly, and the two girls settled into a companionable silence.

Presently, Saya asked, "So Busujima-san, what do you plan to do now?"

"Please, Takagi-san. Call me Saeko. I did kiss you right now!", she laughed, as Saya felt her recently subsided blush coming back on, before going on, "And why do you ask? Takashi and Rei wanted to find their parents. I will naturally lend them whatever aid I can."

"Then, you may call me Saya. I was asking because well, I wondered what everyone in our group thought regarding this. My father and his… underlings, shall we say, have planned to set out and secure all the power and water plants once he returns from Tokyo… he is the sort of man who will only take people who can pull their own weight, and will not entertain personal missions like finding family. Now, I know Takashi is equally stubborn, he will not waver from his goals… and nor will Rei, if I know her at all. I just wanted to know if you'll be following Takashi to help him, or whether you will prefer staying here and following my father and his group."

"Where do you stand on this, Saya-chan?"

"I wanna help Takashi. But, I have a sneaky feeling that he'll come here and try to persuade me to listen to my mother. Who obviously believes in taking the path that has the greatest chance of survival."

"I get the feeling that all of our original group will want to stick together, no matter what happens. It's just a hunch, but we will need to meet to see where everyone stands on this… whether we want to remain separate, or whether we prefer being broken up and absorbed… If it is not too presumptuous to say, I also believe that you give your mother too little credit."

So saying, Saeko got up.

"I will be in my room, Saya-chan. When the time comes for us to meet and decide or if you want to...discuss anything else, you will find me there."

Saeko gave her a meaning look and wandered off.

-0-

Soon, Takashi came up to Saya, just as she'd expected. He took a seat beside her, and commented, "Well, you're in a better mood than I expected. Someone soften you up for me?"

Saya replied, "Saeko-san was here just now. I talked to her for a bit. And umm...events took a surprising turn."

"Ah, okay. Well, that explains it – Saeko does tend to be more mature than the rest of us. And what was the surprising turn."

"Yeah…she kinda took my first kiss..."

Takashi looked stunned.

Saya quickly added, "And I liked it, weirdly enough...I'm not sure whether she told you, but we umm...when we were fooling around in Minami-san's house, we...got each other off."

Takashi gaped at her, mouth open. Then, he shook his head and laughed. "She's a really interesting one, that Saeko-chan...I wonder if she planned this all along."

He shook his head again. "Well, well, Saya got her first kiss. I'm not sure what to feel about it honestly...I always kinda imagined I'd really hate the one who did that to you and be mean to them. But if it was Saeko, I don't know", he said.

Saya laughed, and suddenly decided she wanted to do something surprising. She turned Takashi's head to the side and wrapped her lips around his. Takashi was shocked at first, but recovered enough to respond the best he could. When it ended, Saya looked away and commented, "Well, that felt nice! And Saeko, she really likes you, you know? How about you? Do you really care about her?"

Takashi considered this for a while, his mind slightly reeling from the fact that Saya had just kissed him and just called it 'nice'.

He decided to ignore it for the time being, and replied, "I admire and respect her for who she is. The way she remains calm and maintains her composure even when things go haywire, and when she's fighting, I get this feeling, like she's the Goddess of Death herself. I take strength from that, and try to do my best to help her, take some of the pressure off. Sometimes, I wonder how she could even consider being with someone like me, you know. But, I'd willingly give my life for her. And I'd do anything to make her happy. Whether I love her, I'm not sure yet, but I feel like I'm getting there. At this moment, I care for her deeply, and I really do like her a lot."

"How about me?", asked Saya, sticking her tongue out at him. But, she looked slightly worried, as if she was scared of what the answer might be.

Takashi looked at her, and said, "That's a rather stupid question, isn't it?", laughing.

Saya punched him rather hard on his shoulder, and then proceeded to pout.

Takashi recovered quickly and said, "Sometimes, I don't know what to think. I mean, we're as close as twins, almost to the point of being dependent on each other to get through stuff. I know I love you, but I've never thought of you as anything but Saya...maybe I was stupid, but technically, I guess you were too, in that case. I guess I need time to wrap my head around the situation; all of us do...I mean, it is weird to have such an...open relationship, right?"

Saya nodded and said, "Yes, I guess it is...and it definitely merits further discussion. At the end though, I don't know. If its not normal, doesn't mean its wrong, right?"

"I guess not", conceded Takashi.

Saya nodded. "Good. Have you told Rei?"

Takashi frowned at this. "You know, I'm getting tired of everyone bringing that up. Rei isn't all that fragile, and she doesn't even like me all that much. I mean, have you even listened to her, all the time, she's 'Hisashi this, Hisashi that'. Gimme a fucking break, she decided she didn't wanna be with me, fine, I accepted it and eventually moved on, and I dare say I found something infinitely better. But, why the hell does she find the need to enact a fucking soap opera, huh? I killed Hisashi, it's true, but it's because he wanted me to do it - he wanted to die a human. I take responsibility for it, but I gave him peace… Being an undead, it's a fate worse than death."

Saya smiled at this. "You don't understand girls all that well, do you? … Baka!", she said and sharply tapped him on his head.

Takashi rubbed the spot, glaring at Saya.

Saya suddenly turned serious. "So, you here to tell me to go with my parents? I guess my mother sent you here to convince me to do it her way?"

"Actually, she just asked me to talk to you, calm you down. She told me she tried to tell you to go with your father's group, but nothing beyond that."

"So, what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to look for my parents. And Rei's as well. But, I can understand your mother's concern. There's no way we can be sure that everyone will remain together. Your father's plan really does sound like the best shot to survive. We probably need to have a meeting about that."

"Okay. But, know this, I am coming with you. If you're okay with it, that is."

"Of course I'm okay with that, Saya. But, you haven't asked about what your mother wanted."

"Yeah, if she didn't ask you to convince me to go with father, what exactly did she tell you?"

"She wanted to join our group…"

Saya was stunned to silence.

"And before you talk about group dynamics and all that, know that your mother anticipated your concerns. Yes, it may be difficult having a strong-willed person like her in the group, but I'd feel guilty not granting her request… Frankly, I believe we can use all the help we can get, and she's as intelligent as you, been trained in combat, and could probably drive a vehicle quite well. I also get the feeling that there are a lot of other things she could help with… Though, honestly, I wouldn't need all that to convince me to let her come along anyway. She's your mother and she wants to be with you. That's enough for me."

Saya gazed at the pond, digesting all that Takashi had told her. Presently, she said, "Takashi, I might thank you for this later, but right now, I'm really mad at you, you know…"

Takashi went behind Saya, hugged her tight, and whispered "I know, and I can live with that" into her ear.

"Well, I'll go back inside; I need to check up on the others. And I'm famished; can we get something to eat?"

Saya realized she was hungry too. "Tell you what; gather everyone at the room where Rei-chan and Marikawa-sensei are staying. Rei can't move around freely and that room's the biggest we've been given. Might as well meet there… Saeko-san said she'll be in her room, also your room, I believe…Hirano, Alice and Zeke were in the garage last I checked. I'll get the kitchens to send something up to that room; all of us must be quite hungry."

"Sounds good, I'll go get the others…Do you wanna call your mother along too? Since well, she'll be coming along with us…"

"I'll talk to her", replied Saya, shortly.

"Try not to fight again, will ya? You're already done with today's quota…" said Takashi, quickly disappearing before an irate Saya could ask him what exactly he meant by that last comment.

When she saw that he'd disappeared from view, she smiled to herself and thought, "Baka…"

She made her way toward the mansion.

-0-


	6. Mansion-Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An explanation as to why I've decided to change Yuriko's role – it was because she had a lot of potential. I just hated the way she was dealt with in the anime and the manga. Of course, I never am completely satisfied with anything I read, watch, play or write, so it may well be my own fault.
> 
> Anyway back to why I put Yuriko in… From what we do know of her, it just didn't feel natural that she'd be a submissive sort of woman, the sort who would defer to her husband, and so I decided to change it, and write her in a way that felt right to me.
> 
> And now, to the 2nd part of Mansion, it's much longer than I planned it, and it seems I'll need a Part 3 to wrap it up… Oh well, like Ranma would say, "Anything goes."
> 
> The disclaimer: I still don't own HOTD. (*sniff sniff*)
> 
> Ideas, comments and criticisms are always much appreciated as always, I will respond to any and all reviews!

-Mansion Part 2-

Takashi made his way through the estate to the mansion and his own room, to find Saeko. Despite having been there several times before, even sleeping over every so often, Takashi had never once stopped to admire the beauty of the place. It had always just been there, elegant, idyllic, and so utterly well-maintained by the army of servants, stewards, butlers, and retainers. They even had a fountain in the courtyard!

The Takagi family lived like nobles, all right. Takashi didn't know if he preferred this to his cramped dorm room, or even his slightly larger room back home, though. Somehow, he didn't expect he'd ever find out. He mused on this and several other things as he made his way up the staircase – the end of the world did seem to have a way of throwing up several opportunities for introspection and thinking. Takashi smiled wryly to himself.

He knocked on the ornately carved door. The Takagis truly did spare no expense. Even the doorknob was made of silver!

"Come on in, it's open", came a muffled response from the other side. Saeko. He entered and looked around for her.

She knelt on the floor, examining the katana Takashi had found at the shrine. She looked up and smiled at him as he entered, placing the sword carefully on the mat and standing up. She was still wearing her dark blue kimono.

Takashi hadn't seen her in it yet, however. So, he stood at the door's entrance, gaping at the beautiful girl in front of him, dressed in a dark blue kimono that made her look even more elegant. He seemed paralyzed, frozen rooted to the spot. After a time, Saeko began feeling uncomfortable under the unwavering stare of the boy.

"Er, Takashi-kun, is something wrong? You're kinda staring…"

Takashi shook his head and snapped out of it.

"Er, no, not at all, Saeko-chan. I'm sorry… it's just that you look…really good..."

Saeko's felt her cheeks reddening with embarrassment.

"Really?", she asked, coyly.

"Yeah… you look really really good…like, really good...really really good" Takashi seemed to realize that he was repeating the same thing several times for no reason. He rubbed the back of his head nervously, furiously trying to come up with a course of action that would magically dispel this awkwardness. Well, kissing had always worked before…

He walked up to Saeko and kissed her full on the lips. "Er, yeah, let's start over. Good morning, Saeko-chan."

Saeko replied, "Good morning, Takashi-kun."

Something seemed to occur to her. "I'm sorry for leaving you alone in the morning. I woke up quite early, and you seemed so peaceful, I didn't want to disturb your rest."

"Nah, that's fine. Don't worry about it… so, er, did Tanaka-san give you the kimono?"

"Tanaka…san?", asked Saeko, puzzled.

"Saya's mother. Mrs. Tanaka. Her first name's Yuriko."

"Oh, yes… Yes she did. But, wait, isn't her name Mrs. Takagi?"

"No, actually. She kept her maiden name after marriage."

"Hmm, yeah. I never did refer to her by name, I just kept saying 'ma'am'. She didn't have to correct me."

"Yeah… she has a good eye, though."

"I'm glad that you like it…it means a lot", said Saeko, earnestly.

She cupped his face and drew him in for another kiss. Takashi happily complied.

When they broke free, Takashi sighed contentedly. "That'll never get old."

Takashi suddenly remembered why he'd come there. "Yeah, Saeko, all of us need to meet… you know, our entire group, get an idea of where we're at, discuss what we wanna do going forward…whether our paths diverge, or if we stay together, things like that..."

"Yeah, Saya mentioned something about that", said Saeko. "Whatever happens, I would like to be at your side. I believe you want to search for your mother, and help Rei search for her parents?"

"Yeah, about that, are you sure? I mean, you could also go with Saya's father, he was a student of your…"

She cut him off by putting her finger on his lips. "I'm coming with you. That is not up for debate."

She looked at him with an expression that told him to drop it as he would never get anywhere with this line of discussion.

Takashi sighed and nodded. "Okay… and thanks. It really means a lot that you'd do that."

"No thanks necessary. I am your girlfriend, after all… And you should know - I am quite selfish. Just a little bit greedy too. Now that I've felt this…happiness, I find that I quite like the feeling, and I want to experience it more. You understand?"

"Perfectly", said Takashi, smiling.

Something occurred to him. "You were examining the katana when I came in. Is something up? Do you need a new weapon?"

Saeko replied, "Actually, I believe that this katana is more significant than I first thought… do you recall that my first impression of it wasn't one of particular awe?"

Takashi nodded. "Yeah, you said it wasn't anything special, more or less. Like, it's good enough to be going on, but nothing spectacular."

Saeko nodded back. "Well, the light wasn't very good at the shrine, but surprisingly, it handled really well when I fought off the undead. I've wanted to take a closer look at it, and now that I've had the chance to do that, it is actually an extremely fine weapon, the craftsmanship is quite exceptional. The skill necessary to create something like this is quite rare to find. But, I believe that it is… incomplete, shall we say."

"Incomplete? You mean like, it's missing parts? How's that possible?" Takashi wasn't an expert on swords, but it looked pretty complete to him.

"You misunderstand. What I meant was that this sword is meant to be wielded in one hand. Again, if you recall, I mentioned that its balance wasn't great?"

Takashi nodded.

"Do you know anything of the dynamics of dual wielding swords? Like, for example, which hand would you put the more balanced sword in – your main hand, or your weaker hand?"

"I'd hazard a guess that the balanced sword goes in your off-hand."

"You are correct, but what was the basis of your guess?"

"Video games, actually. You always see that your character's off hand has a lower penalty with a balanced weapon."

Saeko laughed at this piece of reasoning. "Yes, a valid connection. So, as I was saying, since this particular sword isn't that well balanced, it is meant for the main hand."

Takashi considered this for a bit, trying to understand what Saeko was getting at. "So, do you mean to say that you need a balanced sword to complete your weapon set?"

Saeko nodded. "But that isn't all. This sword has some sort of history. I can feel it. It has seen battle before and served its master well. If I'm not wrong, it was made in Meiji Era, during the time of the great weapon smiths, such as Murata, Arisaka and Nanbu. If you recall our modern history, these men were rather famous for their weapon designs and near-flawless production values."

"Yeah, I vaguely recollect reading about them. I believe there were several artillery factories around Japan, manufacturing weapons for the wars, serving different sides. General Murata came up with most of his designs and prototypes at the one in Tokyo, if I'm not mistaken."

"More or less how I remember it too. Anyhow, at that time, most swords forged were meant to be two handed weapons. However, a handful of warriors preferred dual wielding swords or a using a sword and a sidearm while fighting. Generally, they paired a katana such as this one, with a washizaki, roughly three quarters its length, which for certain reasons was typically double-edged, or with a small, accurate pistol…"

Takashi nodded slowly. "What you're saying is you believe that the sword you now hold is part of a set, and you need the other weapon to the set to truly use it...more properly…that about it?"

Saeko nodded. "Essentially yes, but that's just idle speculation. For now, I will try to get used to using the pistol in the off hand, though truth be told, I'd prefer two blades…It does seem like I don't take as well to guns as you boys do. But, you work with what you have, I guess."

She suddenly seemed to realize something and smiled at Takashi bashfully. "Thank you for humoring me. I know talking about weapons isn't exactly entertaining."

"It's totally fine. I am your boyfriend, after all. You're obviously passionate about this, and you know what, this was almost like that time you listened to me talk about vehicles and stuff, though you didn't really know much about it. It felt nice to return the favor, somehow."

He smiled. She blushed slightly redder and smiled back. They gazed at each other, thanking the stars that they each had someone as wonderful as the other to be with them.

Presently, Takashi broke free of his stupor, and said, "Okay, I told Saya I'd collect everyone in the room where Shizuka and Rei are staying while she got us breakfast. Need to get Hirano and Alice. Wanna come along, help search for them?"

"Yes, that would be nice."

"Oh, and Saya's mum wants to join our group…will you be okay with that?"

Saeko considered this. "She is a strong willed woman, and she has done and seen a lot in her life. However, there are certain things we must guard against if we want to keep our group operating as a cohesive unit. I'm sure you've realized that already, or had Saya tell you that?"

Takashi nodded. "Actually, Yuriko-san brought it up herself. But, what I figure is this – she's Saya's mother and she wants to come along. Our group formed purely by coincidence…not that I'm complaining, of course, but there it is. I personally saved Alice-chan and we kinda adopted her into the group. We shouldn't turn away anyone who wants to join up with us as long as they don't try to harm us. Otherwise, we aren't any different from bastards like Shido, who have already lost all their last shreds of humanity. My sentiments are similar to Saya's in this regard; I'd rather die happy with the ones I care about, safe in the knowledge that my humanity is intact, rather than continue to survive while losing my regard for life, family and friendship. You get what I mean?"

Saeko considered what Takashi had said. She sheathed her katana and set it on the table, before turning to face him.

She said, "I wholly agree with what you said, Takashi. I do not oppose Mrs. Tanaka joining our group, if she so desires."

Takashi thought for a while about something, then decided he wanted to bring up what had transpired between Saeko and Saya. "So, umm...when I was talking to Saya, she told me that you two had talked too...and she mentioned that the two of you also...kissed?"

Saeko nodded. "Yes, yes...we did. I initiated it; I was serious about I said before, I'm not trying to force anything, but I do believe that everyone deserves to be happy. Tomorrow, any one of us may die, considering the state of the world, and you need people around who care for you and whom you care for, so you can keep going on, and not let any of their sacrifices be in vain; I'll say it clearly-it's as plain as day to me that you two love each other."

Saeko's eyes softened, and she spoke, almost wistfully, "Frankly, I loved everyone on our League team, even with having to address everyone by names as nebulous and vague as the handles we used online. I was so looking forward to meeting everyone...for over two years, the happiest time of the day for me was when we'd queue up to scrim or to test strategies. I could forget about the darkness that I know plagues me, I could allow myself to let loose. I don't know whether you believe in fate, or destiny, Takashi-I personally don't...but maybe there were larger forces at work when we got thrown together on this ride."

Takashi thought for a while, nodded, commenting, "I can see where you're coming from. And I need to...get used to this, I guess."

He held out his hand to her. Saeko lifted her eyebrows and asked him playfully, "Feeling possessive, are we?", laughing merrily before taking it and letting him lead her out into the corridor, Takashi blushing slightly.

They headed toward the garage to find Kohta and Alice.

-0-

The Takagi family's garage was a large building, housing several vehicles of different shapes and sizes. More importantly, it also housed their armory. To someone like Kohta Hirano, this was a treasure trove - of guns, ammunition and weapon components. The estate even had a rudimentary shooting range on the terrace of the garage to practice. Saya had been using the area to accustom herself to the Kiku Crest Luger her mother had given her. Kohta had used it to compare the other guns too. He had decided on switching to the FN FAL as his rifle of choice. He also had a few ideas for Komuro and Miyamoto. And Nurse Marikawa too, if she'd acquiesce to carrying a firearm. Alice and Zeke were fooling around nearby. He looked over at them occasionally to make sure they weren't getting into any trouble. He started humming happily as he worked - taking care of the guns he loved so much.

-0-

Saeko and Takashi walked the short distance from the mansion to the garage, hand-in-hand, admiring the beauty of the place. They found Kohta, Alice and Zeke in the garage. Yuriko had given Kohta permission to explore the Takagi family's vast armory, and he had spent a few happy hours doing exactly that. Alice and Zeke were playing around as any normal seven year old and her puppy would.

When Kohta spotted Takashi and Saeko, he waved excitedly. Saeko went over to collect Alice. Takashi walked towards Kohta. Kohta picked up a gun and came running up to Takashi.

"Yo, Komuro, I found you an upgrade on your shotgun."

He lifted up the gun for Takashi to see.

"Er, thanks man. But, what exactly is this?"

"A Beneli M4 Super 90. It's a combat shotgun, more efficient than your Ithaca. But it's heavier. If you're fine with it, I could customize it for you the way you want it. This armory is really great. It has so much cool stuff!"

Takashi took the gun in his hands. "You weren't kidding, man. It is heavier. But, I think I should be able to handle it…In case it doesn't work out, just revert to the old one, right?"

"Hmm, yeah that makes sense. They use different ammo too, so we can just hoard both types…Which reminds me, I found a better gun for Miyamoto-san too. Or parts to upgrade her current gun if she prefers that. I need to get her opinion on it, though. When she gets well enough to fight, that is... "

Takashi clapped Kohta on the back. "Well, Quartermaster Hirano, we appreciate all that you're doing man. We couldn't have asked for a better guy to look after our defenses."

Kohta blushed slightly at this praise. "Uhh yeah, thanks man…I seriously never thought playing all those games, reading all those magazines would ever be useful...Just goes to show ya, life ain't predictable, huh…"

"Yeah…One way or another, I think we've all felt that on this ride."

Takashi then remembered why he'd come. "Yeah, we're meeting up to eat at Rei's room, all of our group, you know. We need to get an idea of where everyone's at, and whether we wanna remain together. Rei and I are gonna look for our parents. Saeko and Saya wanna come along, but like I said, nothing's decided yet… Saeko and I came over to get you and Alice and Zeke. Saya's getting the food."

Kohta considered this information. "Well, I go wherever you guys go. The location doesn't matter. You guys are the only people I've met who actually give a damn about me, and whom I actually give a damn about in return. My parents aren't here, so it's not an immediate concern."

"Yeah, I'd like for us to stick together too... But, we can't force anyone to come. And yeah, we need to plan our next steps together."

Kohta nodded. "Okay, I'll just get some stuff. Saya gave me her Luger to modify and I can bring along the gun I picked out for Miyamoto-san…if she's well enough, at least she can give me an idea how comfortable she is with it. And I found a semi-automatic that Marikawa-sensei can use, the Sig Sauer P-250. And, we left the weapons we had in their room. I need a part from the M4 I was using. Hmm…"

Kohta seemed to have drifted off. He didn't speak for a time, just sporting a faraway look on his face.

Takashi snapped his fingers in front of Kohta. "Yo, Kohta, you there? Grab what you need, we'll wait for you outside…Need help carrying anything?"

Kohta snapped out of it. "Huh…no, it's fine. I'll manage. Meet ya outside."

-0-

The three teenagers, kid and one dog walked toward the mansion. Kohta was rather heavily armed – he carried 2 rifles, a shotgun and 2 side-arms. He'd waved away any form of help in bearing the load from all his companions. Takashi and Saeko had felt slightly guilty at letting him win the argument, but tried to rationalize it in their minds – Kohta loved his guns and if he felt happy carrying them, then there wasn't much to feel guilty about. Besides, walking hand-in-hand was rather enjoyable.

Alice was too occupied keeping Zeke in line to be able to offer her help to Kohta. Even if she had, she wouldn't have been allowed to help. There was an unspoken understanding between everyone in the group that she should not have to handle a firearm any earlier than was absolutely necessary. Her innocence was one of the things that they all wanted to preserve for as long as possible, though they all knew that soon enough, with things the way they were, she'd probably have to start fighting too…

Saeko had put it best when they (Saya, herself, Kohta, Shizuka and Takashi) had discussed the matter the previous day.

When society, or what fragments were left of it (including their little group) could actually reconcile the sight of a little girl, barely seven years old, handling a weapon of any sort, bloodying herself, fighting against Them, it somehow meant that any notion of the structures that existed, any illusion of humanity's progression from his earliest nomadic states would be quashed, shattered beyond repair. It would mean a sudden regression in the social constructs that governed mankind. Granted, similar events had probably transpired in times of war; but even the World Wars had never really swept through the entire known world as such. By all accounts, the current zombie apocalypse had been confirmed in most parts of the globe. Of course, all this could be considered a transitional stage before a new equilibrium was reached. Whether humanity would survive the transition was in itself an entirely different debate.

The group hadn't been able to keep up the discussion for long though, because they were all pretty tired, and it was a rather heavy topic to talk about.

As the three teenagers, kid and one dog made their way up the stairs to the door of the mansion, they heard a whirring sound that grew louder with each passing moment.

"A helicopter!?", thought Kohta. "Can't be, can it...Though, this is Takagi we're talking about!"

Saya, Yuriko and Shizuka came out the door and stood at the entrance to the mansion. Takashi, Kohta, Alice, Zeke, and Saeko joined them.

Takashi shouted "What's going on?", over the din.

"Papa's back", replied Saya, equally loudly.

A helicopter came into view and descended, landing in the courtyard of the mansion.

"So, er, what's he like?", asked Kohta.

Saya considered the question for a while before answering, "He is a hard man to like. He believes in bushido, the way of the samurai, and tries to live by its ideals. Honor, justice, honesty…all of it - the full Monty. He lives by his own rules, because he has the strength and resources to. He espouses the ideals of the Ultranationalist Party, but from what he's told me, it's more because he truly believes they have the right idea to get Japan back to its former glory. All in all, he's intimidating, authoritative and quite arrogant. A total hardass."

Yuriko nodded in agreement.

Takashi commented, "You know, I've never actually met him all that much, despite all the time Saya and I used to spend together."

"Yes, when you and Saya were kids, both Hideaki and Souichiro were still in the force. They retired from active service only ten years ago, and since then, Souichiro has been rather caught up in his political career…Still, he does try to spend as much time as he can with his family. And I can't fault him for working towards what he believes is a good cause", said Yuriko.

"Never did get how dad and Mr. Takagi got to be the best of friends, though. Dad is so easygoing and generally vague and absent-minded, and Mr. Takagi seems so severe and intense…"

"Circumstances, I suppose. Look at Saya and you, Takashi-kun. You two were inseparable growing up, and I am given to understand that your father and my husband were similar. Spending so much time together growing up, it creates a deep bond, one that exists irrespective of the characteristics that the parties develop."

"Yeah, that sounds about right…"

A man in a navy blue military uniform, wearing a Japanese sword at his side, got off the helicopter. This was the scion of the Takagi family, Souichiro Takagi. He was followed by 3 men in similar white uniforms. Several other men in similar looking uniforms had gathered, standing in formation at the courtyard. They stood to attention and saluted. The man in blue saluted back and pointed a thumb at the cargo hold of the helicopter. Four men ran up to open it and took out a cage. That contained a man inside it. He was on all fours and seemed feral.

"The fuck?", asked Takashi.

"It seems the man has been infected…you can see it if you observe closely", commented Saeko.

"What'll happen now?", asked Kohta.

"I can guess, but let's see how things unfold, hmm", said Yuriko. Then she seemed to think of something. "Though, I'd suggest covering the little girl's eyes. No need for her to see more violence than she needs to…"

Alice cried indignantly, "I'm not a little girl. I'm almost eight!"

Yuriko bent down to face Alice. "Yes, you're not little, are you? Not any more…So young, and yet…" Yuriko sighed and stood back up, lost in her thoughts.

A large crowd had gathered to see what the fuss was about. Many people from the surrounding areas, who'd sought and been granted refuge in the Takagi estate, once the undead started attacking, were there. Takashi and the rest hadn't really talked to any of them. There was also a good number of the Takagi family's army of servants.

The helicopter took off, presumably to dock. A loading cart appeared out of nowhere to move the cage. It was transported to a spot right in front of the fountain.

Souichiro Takagi walked up to the cage.

"Hmm, that looks like Tetsutaro...this will be hard, even for him", said Yuriko.

Saya looked at her mother in surprise. "Mr. Doi? He was almost as close to him as he was to Takashi's dad!" Her mother nodded and Saya turned back to the scene that was unfolding.

Souichiro had reached the cage. He announced, in a loud, commanding voice, "This man's name is Tetsutaro Doi. He is the former retainer of the family which had served the Takagi family. He is also one of my oldest friends. Today, in Tokyo, when we were escaping the undead to get to the helicopter, he was bitten, saving my life and the lives of his associates. This is the ultimate case of self sacrifice – it was something noble, something that only the best of us are capable of. However, he is no longer human; he is something extremely dangerous, a threat to us all. Doubtless he would prefer death to being in this monstrous form. That's why, as this man's friend and as a man of Takagi family, I shall fulfill my obligation to him, and give Mr. Tetsutaro Doi the peace he deserves."

So saying, he unsheathed his sword and raised it over his head with both hands. One of his men opened the cage, and the creature inside jumped out to attack him. There was a lightning quick swing, and the creature's head flew in a graceful arc and landed in the fountain with a soft splash. The water around the dismembered body part reddened. The body collapsed, unmoving. And Souichiro Takagi calmly sheathed his sword, and faced the crowd.

"This is the world we live in now – it is both our present and foreseeable future. So, even if they were once your cherished friends, family members or people you admired and loved, you need to attack them and strike them down without hesitation. If you hesitate, you cannot survive. So if you want to survive, you must fight to earn it."

There was silence all around.

Suddenly, Kohta said, "It's inefficient."

Takashi was the first to snap out of it.

"Huh, what'd you say again?"

"I said it's inefficient. A sword is an inefficient weapon."

He looked troubled, maniacal even.

Takashi didn't know how to react. "Okay, so what's your point?"

He was getting a slight bit concerned about his friend's demeanor. As were the others.

"That it's inefficient. A Japanese sword could be broken if it hits bone. You spend an unnecessary amount of power swinging it around. It's not versatile either. You can only use it close range. It's a form of combat that lost its usefulness ages ago."

"That's not exactly true, Hirano-kun", said Saeko, looking at him evenly.

"Like any weapon, the sword's effectiveness depends on the wielder, in this case, the swordsman's spirit. Used in the right way, a well-forged sword can do as much damage as a well-engineered gun."

"Its excessively high maintenance too, and it isn't destructive enough for the amount of effort you need to put in", Hirano insisted, his voice growing more insistent.

"There are strengths and weaknesses to both forms of combat, Hirano. For me a sword works better, because I possess some skill with it. Also, do consider what happens when you run out of ammunition for your gun. It is useless. My point is this: a gun is limited by itself, and a sword is limited by its user. It can often prove the decisive difference in a given situation."

"But once a sword is covered in blood, it loses its effectiveness. A gun is better…" Kohta was positively shouting by this point.

He was flushed, and he looked around to see six pairs of eyes staring at him, worried.

Takashi said, "Kohta, it isn't such a big deal man. What's bothering you?" and tried to reach out a hand to calm down his agitated friend.

As soon as his hand touched Hirano's shoulder, he growled, "Don't touch me."

Takashi was surprised. "What's up man? Why are you suddenly like this?"

"I said, don't touch me", shouted Kohta, slapping Takashi's hand off his shoulder.

"What do you know, huh? You don't even know how to fire a gun properly."

Takashi was at a loss for words. He obviously did not know how to fire a gun properly because he'd never had cause to learn. Hirano's irrational anger was befuddling him more and more.

Saya walked up and slapped Hirano.

"Back off, Hirano. What the fuck's gotten into you?", she yelled, giving the boy an angry glare.

Kohta looked around like a hunted animal, flailed at thin air and abruptly turned and ran off, still carrying his guns. Takashi set off after him instinctively.

"Hey, Kohta wait up…At the very least, tell me what the problem is…", he called out as he tried to make up lost ground.

Saya exasperatedly said, "Goddamn it, I'm going inside", and stormed into the mansion.

Shizuka took Alice by the hand and led her inside too, Zeke following.

Saeko looked about, and muttered, "Just one big happy family aren't we…", bitterness and sarcasm evident in the tone of her utterance.

Yuriko looked over at her quizzically. "Frustrated much?"

Saeko sighed. "It's just that with all that's happening, everyone seems so fragile, ready to break without warning. And the thing is, I may well be the same way without knowing it."

"Yes, all that anxiety, stress, and suddenly, everyone gets pushed so close to the edge that a small nudge can just send them over. But, you know, I think just getting it out of your system is a good thing…That boy, Kohta… you shouldn't blame him for his outburst. His behavior, his expressions, his defensiveness during the course of what was, to all intents and purposes, a friendly argument – they all tell me that he has been the victim of bullying for a long time. Bullies try to enforce their view of the world on those they perceive are beneath them. Since his interests are rather more eclectic than the average teenager, I have no doubt that he was targeted for being slightly 'different' from the norm. Frequent and repeated victimization caused him to build up certain defenses to such actions, and when you two were arguing, it became a sort of reflex to just run away from it in case someone suddenly decided to strike him, or cause him harm in some way. It probably didn't help that Takashi raised a hand in trying to pacify him. It is sad, but I do believe that all he needs is time…time for his subconscious to register the fact that all of you are friends, and that he can trust you all, without fear of getting hurt or rejected unreasonably."

Saeko considered what Yuriko had said. "You're probably right, of course. I suppose I should leave it to Takashi, unless it escalates further. I hope they don't start fighting, though. That'd really make me feel guilty - I was after all, the one who probably caused the outburst…"

Yuriko replied, "For now, that may be the best course. I need to go meet my husband. It seems like the meeting we were supposed to have will have to be postponed as well."

"So it would seem." Saeko ambled into the mansion, presumably to join Saya and the rest for breakfast.

-0-

After walking around the estate for a while, Takashi had given up on trying to find Kohta. "Damn, he's pretty quick on his feet when he wants. And he seems to have hidden himself away nicely", he thought, with no small amount of surprise. His new friend could definitely hide, if he so wished.

His stomach growled in protest. "Well, I'm fucking famished. I'll find him later…", he decided, before walking off toward the mansion.

He made his way to the room where Rei and Shizuka had taken up residence. On his way up, he found Alice playing with Zeke in the corridor.

"You done with breakfast already huh, Alice-chan?"

"Yes, Takashi-nii-chan…Where is Kohta-oji-san? Didn't you go after him?"

Takashi smiled slightly. It tickled him to hear Alice refer to him as her 'nii-chan' but Kohta as her 'oji-san'. Kohta wasn't all that much older than him…Alice even referred to Saeko as her 'nee-chan', and she was older than Kohta! Ah, the wonders of a kid's logic…

"Couldn't find him, Alice-chan. He was too quick for me. Then, I felt really hungry so I decided to go look for him later."

Alice thought for a while and asked him, "You and Kohta had a fight, right?"

"Well, you could say that…"

"Then, you need to make up. I'm sure he's sorry too. You two can't fight after all we've been through together…after all you've done for each other."

"All we've been through together, huh…" Takashi drifted off.

Alice took Takashi's right hand in hers, and tugged on it impatiently.

"Listen, I'll go look for him, okay? You go get something to eat!"

So saying, she ran down the stairs, presumably to find Kohta. Takashi called out, "Yeah, thanks…and be careful", after her receding figure.

-0-

Takashi was walking aimlessly down a corridor on the ground floor of the mansion, thinking about the 'Mutiny on the Bounty', a small random snippet of history his teacher had repeated once or twice. The HMS Bounty was a British Royal Navy Ship that left Spithead in December 1787, bound for Otaheite, as Tahiti was known then. A complement of 46 officers made the voyage. After encountering and being delayed by adverse weather conditions near Cape Horn, the ship finally reached its destination ten months later. There, they settled down into an idyllic life on the peaceful island for six months. When it was time to set sail again, the men did so reluctantly. 24 days later, 20 men of the 42 surviving crew mutinied. It was because they couldn't bear the tribulations of the sailor's life, not after having experienced the joy and happiness of a peaceful life in a beautiful island. That, and there was also something about the captain of the ship being a total ass, but the teacher always focused on the former.

Takashi remembered having not understood the point of the story. Looking at what was happening around him presently; he thought that his grasp of the story's message had improved.

His musings were interrupted by someone loudly crying out his name. It sounded like Alice. He turned around.

Alice ran up to him, out of breath, Saeko and Saya following in her wake.

"Takashi-nii, Kohta-san's in big trouble…Come quick! You need to help him", she managed, between gasps. Saya and Saeko had reached him too.

Takashi looked over at them questioningly. Saya shrugged and said, "We don't know. We just followed her in case you needed help. It sounded serious…"

Takashi nodded and bent down to Alice. "Alice-chan, can you take us to where Kohta is?" Alice nodded and took off down the corridor, toward the door. Takashi followed, as did Saeko and Saya.

-0-

"Yoshioka, is this the boy?", asked Souichiro Takagi.

Kohta was on his knees, cowering in fear. Yet, he still hung on to his guns.

Yoshioka replied, "Yes sir…Kagami and Ikari found him, and he refused to give up the guns he carried. I can recognize some of them from our armory."

"So, boy, why do you refuse to give up the guns?", asked Souichiro.

Kohta lifted up a tear-streaked face to Souichiro. "Why? Because there isn't anyone else capable of handling them or maintaining them like me. My whole life, I've only ever loved weapons. I spent every waking moment gathering knowledge on them. Nobody knows about them as well as I do."

He then glared at the man called Kagami with a passion. "And this guy doesn't understand that. He said I wasn't worthy and tried to take them away…"

Souichiro looked taken aback – a rare occurrence for him. Yuriko suddenly popped up at his side.

"Ah, yes. This is Saya's classmate, Kohta Hirano. I gave him access to the armory."

Souichiro turned to face his wife. "Yuriko, you did what?", he asked her, in consternation.

"I let him into the armory and gave him full access, Souichiro", replied Yuriko evenly, totally unfazed.

"If he's Saya's classmate, how old is he?"

"Seventeen is the normal age for someone in her form. Is that your age as well, Kohta-kun?"

Kohta timidly nodded in agreement.

"Seventeen, Yuriko…Seventeen! And you let him play with guns?", asked Souichiro, anger growing.

"With all due respect, sir, you did give us a speech about how we needed to fight to survive", said a new voice.

It was Takashi. Souichiro turned to face the newcomer. Takashi was panting slightly, Alice at his side. Yuriko spotted Saya and Saeko just behind him.

Souichiro's brows crinkled in recognition. "I know you. You're Hideaki's boy. Takashi. I heard that you've been protecting Saya since this began. For that, you have my thanks."

"We've all been working together to survive, sir. Saya's know-how and intellect has been invaluable. Kohta's been with us since this began too. His knowledge and skills with guns has been immeasurably helpful. We probably wouldn't have survived without him. Or without each other, for that matter…"

"I can vouch for him and everything Takashi said, father. He keeps the guns", said Saya, boldly.

Souichiro considered what everyone had said, and he started laughing loudly. "It does seem that you are all held together by a strong bond. Each of you may well be what keeps the other alive."

He spied Saeko among the group. He frowned slightly. "Miss…I seem to recall meeting you before, but I cannot place the circumstance. May I enquire as to who you are? It may jog my memory", he asked of the violet haired sword-mistress.

"I am Saeko Busujima, Takagi-sama. I am a 3rd year student at Fujimi High, and I have been with the group since this began. I believe you were a student of my father once?"

"Ah yes, you are Master Busujima's daughter, and if he is to be believed, one of the finest exponents of the school has seen in recent centuries. Well met indeed", he said, bowing.

Saeko bowed back. "It is my pleasure, Takagi-sama. My father speaks highly of you."

Souichiro laughed. "That is gratifying to hear. Your father is an honorable man. Though strict and demanding, he is a great teacher. He also thinks the world of you, though he may not say it so plainly. I would like to meet with you in private. Please find me at our dojo at your convenience."

Saeko replied, "Yes, sir."

Souichiro turned to Takashi. "Takashi, forgive my rudeness, but it is good to see you again. I would like to meet you in private as well."

"Of course, sir. I'll come with Saeko-chan, and meet you after your meeting with her is over. Will that be convenient?"

"Yes, that would be best." Souichiro turned to Saya. "Saya, it is good to see that you are safe…I trust that your mother gave you the pistol she had been saving up for you?"

Saya nodded. Then, something seemed to occur to her. She asked, "What do you mean, 'saving up for me'?"

"Ah yes, that is a story you should ask your mother, not me. Suffice it to say, you will find it quite useful in the times that are ahead. If you could join your mother and me for lunch today, it would make us both happy."

"Of course, daddy", said Saya.

Souichiro nodded and turned to Hirano. "Young man, you are fortunate to have good, reliable people around you to call your friends. If you're smart, you'll realize this fact sooner rather than later. And you may keep your armaments and help yourself to whatever else you may find useful in our armory. Talk to Kagami, take his help. I do not know anyone else who knows more about weaponry. He may be rough around the edges, but from what I can see, I believe you two will get along just fine."

Kohta nodded, dumbfounded.

Kagami bent down and offered his hand. "Sorry I didn't realize who you were. If you have the boss' permission to carry this stuff, then it's okay with me. Come on." Kohta accepted his help, and got up.

Yuriko said, "Now that that's settled, I need to talk to you, Souichiro."

"Yes, of course, Yuriko. Let us adjourn to the dojo." The adults all walked away, leaving the 4 teenagers, kid and dog alone. (Yes, Zeke had been privy to this entire drama)

Without warning, Saya gave Kohta a tight slap.

"The second time this morning...glad I'm not at the receiving end, though!", thought Takashi, idly.

"Way to overreact, chubby. What the hell was that for? We're your friends, right? There's no fucking reason for you to act all misunderstood. It doesn't matter how other people may have acted toward you in the past, what you need to realize is that you can trust us… we may tease you, we may argue, we may fight…but at the end, we always make up, or compromise or something. That's what friends do. You need to chill out, give us more credit than those moronic bullies who used to torment you back at school."

Saeko spoke up. "Hirano-kun, I did not mean you harm. I was only stating my opinion, and trying to understand yours… I meant it to be a civil dialogue among equals. I understand that in the past, there have been certain cowards at school who ganged up on you and tortured you to submission. If I'd known, I might have lent you my aid. Rest assured, I am not like any of those people. I despise them. If I did happen to come across that way, I sincerely apologize."

Takashi put his arm on Kohta's shoulder and gave it a friendly squeeze. "Look, Kohta. We're all friends here, and we look out for each other. Saeko was only having a friendly debate with you, man. She wasn't trying to strong arm you into admitting she was right against your will. Just relax!"

Alice spoke up too. "Kohta-san, you shouldn't do stuff like that. Everyone was so worried."

Kohta looked at all his companions in turn. And finally, he realized that, for possibly the first time in his life, he had people he could call his friends, whom he could depend upon to support him, and not to abandon him. He bowed his head humbly. "I'm sorry, everyone. I can't think of anything I can say or do, that can forgive my actions. I over-reacted, got myself in trouble, and though I probably didn't deserve it, you guys stood up for me and bailed me out. That's never happened to me before…"

Takashi clapped him on the back and said, "Come on, you haven't had anything to eat yet, right? You must be hungry, we saved some for you, and it's in Rei's room. You can also pick up the stuff you need there for modifying the weapons."

Takashi walked off toward the mansion, Saeko and Saya following, hand-in-hand. Alice took Kohta's hand and they walked side-by-side to Rei's room.

-0-

Footnote: This is the first time I'm including one of these, but I felt like I needed to. Unless more scenes suddenly worm their way in to Mansion, it should end at Part 3. I'll be happy if it does, but I don't know. I thought it'd be 2 parts originally, but then I went and wrote upwards of 10000 words for this chapter and wasn't anywhere near done with the events at the mansion. So, I was like, screw it, lets find a good transition point to break it up.


	7. Airport

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rika will be coming into contact with Takashi, Saeko, et al soon. I needed to put together a coherent timeline of events, and hopefully, I'll be able to do that successfully.
> 
> This chapter happens right before the HANE causes the EMP blast at the airport. This chapter also introduces an OC. Meet Raimi Nakaoka, he's the older brother of Asami Nakaoka, and an electronics expert. He's in the Jieitai, ands on the same team as Rika and Tajima.
> 
> And I had to read up a lot about EMP Blasts and nuclear explosions to push the plot further, so I certainly hope there isn't anything I've missed or understood wrong. Most of the stuff I got from this guy called William Forstchen who wrote a book based on the aftermath of an EMP blast over the whole of the USA. It was called 'One Second Later', if I'm not wrong. (I might get down to reading it too – it seemed interesting.)
> 
> If there are any plot holes, do let me know (via a comment or a PM).
> 
> On to 'Airport'…I feel like I really need to stop naming chapters after the location they happen in, but I couldn't think of a better scheme yet, so that's how it'll remain for now.

 

-Airport-

"Clear. Fire at will", said Tajima, setting down his binoculars.

"Finally", said Rika. The purple haired woman made quick work of the undead running around the runway. As the last of Them was shot down, the loading bus scooted across the runway and unloaded the passengers at the plane. It soon took off from the on-ocean airport.

Rika got up and sighed. "That's the last of em."

"So it is", said her spotter.

Rika's breasts felt numb. She started massaging them to get the feeling back in them. Tajima stared unashamedly. Rika noticed this and turned away.

"Er, what's up, Rika-san? Why are you fondling yourself?"

"Nothing much, Satoshi-kun. I had to stay on my stomach nearly all morning with all this crap. My boobs feel numb and I don't like em that way", she said, as she continued rubbing them.

"Ah, would you like some help?", asked Tajima, a playful glint in his eye.

"Nah, I got it covered…and do stop staring, it's creepy, you lecherous old pervert…You never stop trying, do you?", she asked him, somewhat indignantly. She also stuck out her tongue at him for added effect.

"There's an old saying which says something about trying until you succeed. Seems to apply in this case. Eventually I'll get some", replied Tajima, mischievously.

"Yeah? Well, this pair and this whole body", said Rika, first groping her breasts, then caressing her body from her shoulder to below her butt on each side, ending with a loud spanking on each butt-cheek, "belongs to Shi-chan and Shi-chan alone." She slapped her butt again with both hands, and licked her lips, making sure Tajima saw all of it.

"The more the merrier, Rika-san. I find that there is more room for experimentation with three instead of two. Maybe Raimi-kun will join us too."

"You'd wish, partner. I'm not allowing either of you bastards anywhere near Shi-chan. She's mine and mine alone. Horrible torture awaits anyone who dares to lay a finger on her."

"Oh, maybe I want the torture, Rika-san. I've always wanted to experiment with BDSM and the other esoteric stuff you read about, but I've never had the chance."

"Kinky, aren't you, Satoshi-kun…Anyway, most of those aren't overly special or enjoyable."

"No?"

"Nuh-uh… Role-playing is fun, though."

"And what do you like to play, my dear? You could pull off a bunny-girl well, you know."

"Shi-chan is better as a bunny girl. Me, I'm the hunter."

The two of them laughed. Tajima took out a packet of cigarettes and offered it to Rika. Rika accepted. Tajima took one for himself and lit Rika's up before lighting his own. They stood in silence for a while, dragging on their cigarettes, feeling it stimulate and calm their nerves.

Presently, Tajima said, "So, that last plane. It contained only VIPs. This airport has only technicians and pilots and other random personnel. But, they're only worried about the upper echelons. They're not mobilizing fast enough to help the civilians either…"

"Yeah, it pisses you off when some people get to escape to a safe location, just because they're supposedly important or because they're rich…and others are left to fend for themselves. I seriously wonder how their money is gonna help them now. Looking at how the zombies are invading, I don't think it'll count for shit in the coming weeks and months."

Tajima nodded. "Though, I wonder how those things got on this airport …They definitely can't swim…can they?"

Rika considered. "Someone must have been infected from before…It's worrying if they're capable of doing more than flailing around like they are now. There's just so many of them. But, how the hell did this all start?"

It was a truly worrying situation. They didn't know much about or understand the enemy, a fact that made it even more worrying.

The two finished their cigarettes and walked back to the airport office.

-0-

The security guard at the office walked up to the newcomers. He saw that the purple haired woman of the group was smoking a cigarette. That was against the rules.

"Hey", he said, angrily. "That isn't allowed here."

The woman looked at him impassively.

"What are you gonna do about it?", she challenged him.

The man, her partner, commented, "I think that's the least of your worries, son. I'd advise you to focus on more pressing matters."

The guard glowered at the two before stiffly beckoning them to follow him. The two entered the waiting area of the office, which had also become the makeshift base of operations for the eight man strong SDF team that had been sent in.

"Yo, Satoshi, Rika. Good to see you safe", called a familiar voice. It was Raimi Nakaoka.

"Yo, Ray. Good to see you managed to keep your ass alive", said Rika, smiling warmly.

Raimi nodded. "You too…we can't afford losing the Jieitai's best markswoman."

Rika blushed slightly. "Still not the best overall, though. Shinji-sama still ranks above me."

Shinji Moritaka was the top sniper in the Japanese Self Defense Forces, and he happened to be Rika's teacher and mentor from her days in army training. He was a specialist sniper, though, as opposed to Rika, who could handle any gun. Rika was highly respected among all the Jieitai for her combat prowess.

Raimi's face became solemn. "Oh, erm…Rika-san, I have some bad news for you. I figure it'd be better for you to hear it from me…But, Moritaka-sama died earlier today, in the rescue operations at Tokyo…"

Rika was mildly shocked. "Shinji-sama died? That's…sad…"

As soldiers, they heard of friends dying in action all the time. It was their job, after all, to lay their lives down to protect the innocent. It still didn't dull the pain of loss, though. And Rika had become more and more disillusioned by the life she led in the army. She didn't like being a tool of people who believed they knew more than her just because they had more experience, or they had more power. She wasn't a good soldier, despite her insane abilities, because she didn't like following orders without question. She hated protocol, chain of command, hierarchy, and all the bullshit that essentially rendered the army an old boy's club. She hated injustice most of all, and many times, she found herself believing that she helped propagate it, what with the fact that political forces inevitably controlled her employers.

"I know he was a good friend of yours. But, he won't be the first we lose. Not to sound pessimistic, but this is just the beginning", said Raimi.

He pulled out a packet of cigarettes and offered it to each of his colleagues in turn. Both accepted, and he took one for himself. He lit up Tajima's, then Rika's before finally lighting his own. The three smoked their cigarettes in silence.

Presently, Rika raised her cigarette - similar to how people raise their glasses while calling for a toast, and said, "To Shinji Moritaka. The greatest sniper I ever knew. I'll never forgive the bastard for going and dying before I could finally beat him fair and square."

The other two did the same, and Raimi said, "Amen to that, chief."

After they'd finished their cigarettes, Rika took off her sunglasses and hung them on the sports bra she wore inside her combat suit. "So, what's the situation?"

A dark look crossed Raimi's face. "We're the only ones left here."

Rika exclaimed, "What!? How?"

Raimi sighed and explained. "Well, Ozawa sent you two to clear that landing pad, right? Well, the airport manager told us about an oil tanker we could use to set the undead on fire. So, Ozawa took everyone except me and tried to make their way to it."

He sighed and let out a deep breath. "Far as I can tell, the van they took to get to the tanker toppled over for some reason. Could have been something on the road, or maybe the driver saw something. Anyway, they stopped reporting in."

Rika nodded. Since she was the highest ranked SDF member, command of the operation fell to her.

"What were you doing?", she asked.

"Setting up comms with the evacuation ticket for these people. The Marine SDF is sending two freighters over. ETA is about 12 hours…" Raimi paused, unsure of whether to go on.

Rika caught on this and gave him a questioning glance. "What's up?"

"I heard something from Commander Yagami too…it seems like there's a rumour of multiple planned HANEs over different parts of Japan within the next three hours…At least four nuclear warheads were armed in the last two hours…"

"A HANE? What the fuck? You sure about this, Ray?", asked Rika, surprised.

"Like I said, it's a rumor." Raimi shrugged.

"Er, Rika, not to sound ignorant, but the fuck is this shit you two are talking about?"

Raimi explained, "A HANE is a High Altitude Nuclear Explosion. It happens when a nuclear bomb is detonated above the earth's atmosphere. By itself, it isn't as scary as a nuclear blast on ground. The fallout isn't overly significant either…worrying, yes but not as worrying as its actually intended product – an EMP blast. I don't exactly know the specifics, you'd need a science geek to explain it to you, but it kills delicate electronic systems based on solid state technology. Essentially, all computer and IC chip-based systems will be compromised…In the world today, we rely on electronics for every aspect of life. With them fried, I don't really want to contemplate what will happen."

Tajima nodded slowly, as the implications sunk in.

Rika was quite agitated. "Damn it, if it's true, and I won't be surprised if it is, then whosoever is behind this is a fucking lunatic…"

Raimi nodded grimly. Tajima looked at the two of them in surprise.

"What do you mean – whoever is behind this? Why are they lunatics?", he asked, confused.

"Think, Satoshi. All the electronics will be fried. The whole of Japan will black out. Almost no transportation will be able to run, conventional communication networks will be fucked. Which essentially means - every human being needs to fend for themselves. It'll be like those post-apocalyptic video games you play…"

Raimi added, "And this set of events seem too coincidental not to be related…I mean think about it, a random epidemic causes people to turn into these undead, and not just here – most places in the world have been confirmed to be affected. And now, we hear a rumour of an EMP blast that will cripple anyone who survived. They can't ask for help, and that essentially boils down to abandonment by the higher powers, many of whom have left to a safe location in planes, just like the one you just helped safely take off a while back. It sounds almost biblical, like the pestilence of an approaching apocalypse. Or something to that effect."

Something seemed to occur to Rika. "Damn…Raimi, do you have the flight manifests? Where these guys were heading? Or at least how long they'll be in the air?"

"They're going out of country, to a safe location somewhere in New Zealand…they should be in the air about 10 hours, I guess?"

Rika started pacing around, lost in thought. "It's brilliant…just brilliant…", she mumbled.

Raimi and Tajima waited for Rika to snap out of it. They were used to this, having been on Rika's team for a long time, and they knew she would soon share what it was she had thought about.

After a while, Rika stopped and looked at her partners, a new expression in her eyes. It was one of horror, of pure fear.

Raimi worriedly asked her, "What's up, Rika-chan? You look like you've seen a ghost…"

Rika said, "The EMP Blast will fry most sensitive electronics. It'll affect planes even worse because planes are up in the atmosphere, aren't they…now, if it's gonna detonate in the next 3 hours, all the flights containing Japan's who's who – members of government, industrialists, VIPs, they'll blow up, plummet to the ground, die…where does that leave us? Societal structures collapse, anarchy, it'll literally be a dog eat dog world…you getting the picture?"

Raimi and Tajima felt their eyes go wide with shock at about the same time. The implications were staggering. It seemed like the entire chain of events were all aimed at one thing – the collapse of humanity. Or a purge, maybe…It didn't matter what the aim was, but it was clear destruction was the intended first step. Unless the destruction was the aim in itself? It was a moot point, however. They could only guess if this was taking place in the other parts of the world too.

Rika took out her pack of cigarettes and silently offered one to each of her remaining team. They accepted, grateful for the distraction, and the soothing effect of the stimulant laced sticks. She lit each one up in turn. The three smoked in silence, lost in their own thoughts.

-0-

"How many survivors in total?", asked Rika.

The airport manager, a hard-working pen-pusher who worked his way up the ladder, was utterly out of his depth. He had ceded control of the crazy situation to this equally crazy purple-haired madwoman.

"About 450, ma'am…", he replied.

"How many can use guns?"

The airport manager thought for a moment. "Precious few. I'd estimate it about 20 at best…"

Rika swore. "This isn't good…Your extraction point is the front harbor…It's the only one big enough to fit the freighters that are coming…"

The airport manager grew frightened. "But, the path there is overrun!"

"Yes, I am aware of that, you bumbling idiot!", said Rika, irritated.

Raimi put his hand on Rika's shoulder. "Calm down, Rika-san…"  
Addressing the manager, Raimi asked, "Say, the oil tanker that Ozawa and the others were aiming for…where is it?"

The manager nodded. "Near the front harbor …"

"Can you give me a map or an area schematic? We'll need to find you an escape route first."

The manager nodded and went out to get it.

Rika asked Raimi, "So, Ray. What're you thinking?"

"We clear them an escape path. Get rid of the undead on the way. They're just stragglers. Most of them are concentrated at the front harbor. We hose the undead around the tanker, burn em and then blow it up for good measure. If we're done by an hour, it won't be too difficult for the evac freighter to come in and secure the survivors."

Tajima's jaw dropped. Blowing up a tanker?

Rika nodded. "Good. And our PT boat, it'll be safe from any EMP blasts?"

Tajima's jaw dropped further. Rika agreed to this crazy idea?

"Yeah, I closed off the harbour gate where we left it, the electronics should be safe…worst case, I can hot-wire critical systems…"

Rika nodded and replied, "Good…make sure you find a route for us to get to our boat too. We'll need it."

Raimi nodded back meaningfully.

Rika commented, "Well, at least we'll go out in a blaze of glory on the records, huh? Let's just hope Shi and Asami survived Tokonosu…Or we'll be defecting for nothing…"

Tajima and Raimi looked worried, for different reasons.

Rika thought for a bit, and said our loud, "But it's a risk I'm willing to take. I need to at least try and find Shi...she's…you know…", said Rika, faltering as she tried to articulate what Shizuka Marikawa meant to her.

Tajima recovered first. He decided that he had nothing better to do with his time anyway, and said comfortingly, "She's gonna be okay, you'll see."

"And I need to try finding Asami too...she's my sis. Everything is done for anyway. It ain't gonna matter over-much if three people are declared KIA trying to help civilians escape."

The three fell into an uncomfortable silence as a loud heavy metal song began playing.

Rika went slightly red with embarrassment, and said, "Excuse me, that'd be my phone…"

An unknown number showed up on screen. Rika picked it up.

"Hello, is it Rika-chan?", asked a familiar voice. Rika was shocked. Then, she felt a surge of happiness and relief. Shizuka was safe!

"Shi-chan? Is it really you?"

"Yes, it's me, Rika-chan. You're okay!", said Shizuka, happily.

She seemed to go away from the phone.

"Yay! Rika-chan is okay! You wanted to talk to her, right?", she exclaimed in the background.

Another voice spoke up. Rika couldn't make it out.

She heard Shizuka say, "Umm, okay…", and then she heard a click.

Rika asked, "Shi, is everything all right?"

"Yeah, Rika-chan…I just put the phone on speaker so you can talk to Komuro! He's like the leader of the group who've been protecting me", replied Shizuka.

"Umm, hello…My name is Takashi Komuro, a student at Fujimi High. Marikawa-sensei has been traveling with our group. We've been working together to just survive all this since it began at Tokonosu…we also stayed a while at your apartment and took most of your weapons and your Humvee", said a voice from the other end.

He sounded youthful. Of course, this was to be expected since he was still a high school student.

Rika replied, "That's good… Komuro-kun, was it? How many of you are there in your group? Where are you? What's the situation and what are your plans?"

"Our group is currently 8 people and a dog. We are currently somewhere near the Hanadera park in East Tokonosu. The situation isn't good, undead all around, but we're with another group of survivors right now. We'll not remain with them, though – another member of our group and I both need to look for our parents on the south side of the city…everyone agreed to come along."

"That's fine…south side, you say…Hmm…wait a minute…"

Rika got Raimi's attention and asked him, "Hey, Ray. Asami's posted at a station somewhere on the south side right?

Raimi nodded, and said, "Yeah, the one near that big mall…"

Rika got back on the phone, and said, "Okay, that's perfect. Have you heard of the Taiei shopping mall? It's the biggest mall in the city."

"Yeah, of course!"

"Okay, listen very carefully. Do whatever you need to do, but make sure you shack up and sit tight there. Wait for us to come. We'll make our way there too, and if we reach there first, we'll sit tight and wait for you. We'll help anyway we can. Also, make sure you keep the Humvee as intact as you can too. We'll definitely need some sort of transportation later. Can you do all that?"

"Yes, of course, Minami-san. But, how long will you wait? Or how long should we wait? You know, in case either of us doesn't make it?"

"A deadline? Yes, that sounds good. Say, a week? Don't think it'll take longer than that."

"Understood, Minami-san. Thank you."

"Don't thank me so soon, Komuro-kun. There's a long way to go. Hope to meet you and Shi-chan there… Anything else?"

"Er, yeah, actually, I don't wanna get ahead of myself, but assuming everything goes well, do you have any idea what we can do after all this."

Rika took a deep breath. "Komuro-kun, I don't want to scare you, but I heard a rumor of multiple planned HANE to setup an EMP blast that will probably cover the whole of Japan."

"HANE? EMP blast? What's…"

Suddenly, Rika's phone blew up. Rika instinctively jerked her head away from it. She looked out the window, and saw a bright yellow light covering the sky.

"Holy mother of fuck…", said Raimi.

Rika threw her phone hard and watched it hit the wall and break up into its component parts.

She took a few deep breaths and commented, "Well, Ray, it looks like it wasn't just a fucking rumor, was it? It's been less than 2 hours, though…"

Tajima nodded grimly. "Yeah, the flight that took off from here couldn't have made it past the blast radius, could it?"

Raimi shook his head. "Not likely. Not in the direction they supposedly chartered at least. Even if they went the opposite way, I'd still estimate their chances of survival close to zero. And there were members of Diet, CEOs, most of the who's who from Tokonosu and Kiba. Two of Japan's metropolises…I know this is obvious by now, but this is extremely worrying."

"Survival at any cost, huh…", mumbled Rika.

"I'm sorry, what was that?", asked Tajima.

"Nothing to concern yourself with…Well men, let's put our plan into action."

-0-

"Remind me why we can't just use a vehicle again", complained Tajima. It was rather hot, and the combat suits and guns they wore did not improve his comfort level one bit.

Rika shook her head. "I don't like it anymore than you do, Satoshi. My bra is sticking to my boobs. Knew I shoulda worn the bikini ones. My panties are soaked too. And not the pleasant kind of soaked either. Bloody EMP fried all serviceable vehicles in the place."

Raimi commented, "Maybe not all. There is a pair of military jeeps up ahead. The security officer told me…I'm pretty sure I could hotwire it."

The three had stopped in a shed on their way to the oil tanker. It didn't seem like there was any immediate danger, and they had decided to take a rest. And a smoke.

Rika took a drag on her cigarette and commented, "I sure hope you can…"

Tajima turned back to look at her, meaning to say something. His face went red and he turned away.

Rika noticed and asked him, "What? Something wrong?"

"Er…", Tajima seemed embarrassed, unsure.

Rika put her hand on her hip and indignantly said, "Spit it out, you numbskull."

Raimi cleared his throat and muttered, "You're bloody hot. You know that. But just seeing you all sweaty and suited up, with a cigarette in your mouth…well, it's like a dream…and it just turned me on…Too much for comfort actually. Which is why I looked away."

Rika's rose her eyebrows a fraction and started laughing. Raimi joined in.

Tajima looked at her questioningly.

"It's just that you're so frank and clear with your lustful impulses…It's just funny…", she explained.

Tajima looked down and muttered, "Yeah, but it doesn't help me any, does it?"

He looked rather dejected. Rika knew Tajima didn't have much luck as far as women went, and it hurt to see her friend unhappy about that. She also knew that she was his ideal – she represented everything he found perfect in a woman. She knew because she'd lashed out at him in frustration after she'd tried to set him up with her nth friend, and he'd not responded to it at all. That was when he confessed his love for her, not expecting it to be returned – he already knew the Rika and Shizuka were perfect together, but just that he hadn't found anyone whom he nearly loved as much, or anyone he believed was as perfect as her. And Rika felt somewhat bad because if it had been another time and place, if she didn't already have her Shi-chan, she probably would have returned his affections. Still, all this didn't stop Tajima from being depressed every once in a while. A man had needs, after all.

Rika decided that she wasn't very happy with his behavior on this occasion.

"Damn it Satoshi, it's your own fault. You never find anyone good enough", complained Rika.

"I'm pretty sure you're to blame for that. No woman I meet compares to you", retorted Tajima.

"Yeah, so you blame me for being me? How the fuck is that fair?", asked Rika, exasperated.

"She does have a point, you know", put in Raimi.

He was no stranger to Tajima's views – he was his best friend, after all. This was one area that he didn't understand his friend's stance on, however. He was attracted to Rika too – hell, the only men who'd find Rika unattractive would have to be gay. But, he hadn't known her as long as Tajima, so he just accepted it as one of those things he couldn't do anything about. Rika didn't, obviously feeling some sort of existential guilt. Or maybe it was concern for her partner. Raimi couldn't say.

"Well, it may not be fair. People blame other people for the weirdest stuff. Deal with it." Tajima smiled at Rika gently. "I don't blame you for who you are. Hell, it hurts, unrequited love. But, at least you didn't push me away, give me up as a creep or a weirdo. You accepted it."

Rika sighed. "Yeah, obviously. I don't have many friends, and well…you are easily the best partner I've ever had. Ah fuck it, maybe we'll discuss this later…"

Tajima looked grateful. Raimi nodded and they headed out following Rika's lead.

-0-

"Damn, how can we be sure they're not alive, huh?", demanded Tajima as Raimi drove over another of Them on their way to the oil tanker.

"Have you seen them close up, Satoshi?", asked Rika.

"Well, yeah, but if it's a disease, we can cure em, right? Just mowing them down makes sure they're really dead…", said Tajima.

"Yeah, but you can't survive without food or water for that long. They just mindlessly keep walking and trying to chew uninfected people. They should theoretically fall dead naturally after a certain period…", said Raimi.

Rika nodded. Then she seemed to think of something. "How do they know if you're uninfected? I mean, why don't they, you know, chew each other up?"

Raimi considered. "Interesting question. I assume the answer will be interesting too. And valuable…"

They cleared a path to the tanker, mowing down any of Them en route. It was quite a short ride.

They reached the tanker presently. Rika told Raimi, "Raimi, you're up. Appropriate the hose and start squirting."

Raimi gaped at Rika.

Rika observed this and told him, "What? Go on, I'll set up the charge. Tajima, cover us."

Tajima nodded. Raimi complained, "He gets the easiest job. Least messy too."

Rika retorted, "Ya know, I don't think any of us will be not messy when this operation is over. Just saying."

Rika and Raimi went over to the oil tanker to perform their tasks, while Tajima took his place on the steps of a staircase leading to a shed. It provided a good view of the place.

Rika set two charges on the truck, opposite each other. It was a simple system – a wireless detonator with a range of about 100m. In the meanwhile, Raimi covered the entire surrounding area in oil, including three large hordes of them making their way toward their little group. Tajima just shot down any undead that came too close. That proved his downfall.

A group of two undead stragglers walked up behind Tajima. He was too engrossed in taking care of three others who'd gotten too close to Rika to notice. Once he shot them down and reloaded his rifle, he felt something biting his right leg, the one he'd left dangling over the edge of the step he had settled on. Tajima quickly took out his pistol and shot the two down. Unfortunately, their sneak attack of sorts had worked.

Tajima knew he didn't have a lot of time left. Good thing Rika and Raimi were almost done. He saw both of them beckon to him. He didn't move.

Rika seemed to realize that something was wrong when Tajima didn't see them wave to him. Raimi started up the jeep and Rika hopped on. They made their way to where Tajima was, and Rika jumped out of the jeep, Raimi ready with his rifle to get rid of any unfriendly intruders.

Tajima smiled weakly at Rika and said, "Well, it looks like this is one ride I can't join you on…I'm sorry, Rika…"

Rika looked at him questioningly. Tajima explained, "I got bitten…two of those bastards snuck up on me and got quite a bit out of my calf. I can feel myself turning, you know, and there isn't much time left. You need to get out."

Rika ran over to the opposite side of the staircase and saw Tajima's leg. He was right. She went back to the front. Tears came unbidden to her eyes.

Tajima chuckled weakly and said, "Come on, Rika…don't cry. In a way, I guess I'm happy going out like this, making sure you're okay…Now, you need to make sure I don't die for no reason, because it's over for me…there isn't much time left."

Rika passed him a box of matches. "You'll need those to set the place on fire." She took off her sunglasses, and dropped them on the ground, before saluting him.

"Goodbye, Satoshi-kun. I'll miss you…Any last requests? There isn't enough time for copulation, though…", she said, with a small smile.

"I don't have the energy to fondle your boobs properly, let alone…that…I'd love a smoke though. And take my weapons too. No reason to waste em."

He held out his rifle and his pistol to Rika. Rika accepted both and put them on. Then, she took out a cigarette and lit it up. She walked up the staircase to where Tajima had taken his place. She bent down and placed a swift kiss on his lips before placing the cigarette in his mouth. He held out the box of matches to her. Rika understood. He wouldn't need it, not anymore. He had a slow burning fuse in his hand. Scratch that, his mouth. Rika passed him the detonator too.

Rika turned and made her way to the jeep, and presumably told Raimi what had happened.

Raimi stood to attention, saluted him, and yelled, "See you later, my friend", before he took the wheel and drove the jeep away.

Tajima smiled. The brevity of the goodbye was so much like his best friend, his brother in arms for over a decade.

He let them drive away about a hundred yards before he took his final drag on the cigarette Rika had lit for him. Raimi had covered a big area with the fuel- the tanker had been almost full, and he'd blasted a large volume around it. Tajima just flicked the cigarette into a large puddle of the stuff and it immediately lit up. He pressed down on the detonator Rika had given him. His last thoughts were filled with the woman he loved, and the kiss she'd given him. And then, everything went black.

-0-

"Well, it looks like the electronics are completely fine. Including the radar and all non-essential systems too", said Raimi.

"So, your electrostatic shielding theory worked?", asked Rika.

Raimi smiled and nodded. "Yeah. And the fuel we have should tide us over for a good while. Ozawa made sure to collect a good amount of reserve as soon as we landed up here. We can find more at the Tokonosu south-side docks. Every bit helps."

"Food isn't a problem either. We have enough to last a while here on the boat. And we can get more at the mall when we get there. We're pretty good for weapons and cigarettes too…"

"We have nautical charts of pretty much every coastline, all less than 2 years old. Electronic jammers to prevent detection are functional."

Rika nodded. "The only way we can travel around is by sea. At least for a while. Somehow, I don't think Japan was the only country that suffered an EMP Blast."

Raimi raised his eyebrows. "You have an idea what's going on?"

Rika replied, "A theory, yes. But, that can wait. Right now, we need to get to our rendezvous point at Tokonosu."

Raimi nodded. "Well, let's take it as it comes, I guess."

Rika replied, "Yeah… say, if we wanted travel to another country, maybe Thailand or someplace, would you be able to get us there?"

Raimi considered. "We'd need weather reports and stuff to plan the route. But, the met departments are probably non-existent at this point. But I have enough expertise with navigation to find a route there, if that's what you meant."

Rika nodded. "Good. Get ready to move out. I'll open the doors."

-0-

Rika stood at the front deck of the ship, smoking a cigarette and thinking. They were moving along at a sedate pace towards the south-side port of Tokonosu city. She'd washed off the grime of her adventures in the airport and had put her combat suit out to dry. She was now dressed in a green tank top and a pair of light blue shorts.

She thought of Tajima, all the missions she'd gone on with him, all the times he'd had her back and all the good times they'd shared. He'd encouraged her to follow her heart when it came to Shizuka. When she'd found out that he'd done it despite his own strong feelings for her, she couldn't help but respect him more…As a small tear made its way down her right cheek, Rika realized that she'd miss him, but that he'd died to allow her and Raimi to live. And that they'd be dishonoring the sacrifice if they didn't. She stubbed out her cigarette, leaned back, looked up at the sky and whispered, "Sayonara, Satoshi-kun" to the wind, before heading back below deck.

-0-

_Okay, that was not the easiest chapter to write and it definitely was a bit squiffy in parts. But, for me, this was a necessary chapter._

_I had also originally written a scene in the shed where Tajima and Rika had a sexual encounter, but I removed it in the end, because it seemed out of place on the final read-through. After I removed it, I was pretty upset coz it had been like 1000-odd words and almost an hour of work, which is why there was a larger delay._

_For future reference, Rika and Shizuka are lovers, maybe even soul mates, but they are not sexually exclusive._

_In the end, I have to admit that I'm pretty happy with how I characterized Rika, even if I say so myself._

_Also, I changed the oil tanker from a ship to a truck here. To be clear, I looked it up and found that those large trucks which carry fuel in airports were also called tankers._


	8. Mansion-Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This mansion sequence is never-ending.
> 
> *groan*
> 
> Okay, so it's been a really long time since I updated this, but after that mishap with me losing all my data because my laptop HD crashed, I really couldn't revisit this story for a while. Mainly because I had like 25k words (almost 3 chapters) which I believe will the most boring I will ever write for this story, and it got deleted, and I got put off by the thought of repeating it…  
> Now, we may be approaching territory where I might be taking too many liberties with the characters, but I do believe the bath-tub scene in episode 6, gave me enough of a reason to bring the whole 'Saeko liked girls too' part into the plot. That, and I've never liked the Saya-Kohta pairing at all…and the Saya-Takashi relationship is never properly touched on ever. Those two are quite obviously extremely important to each other. I kinda like the idea of Saya-Saeko-Takashi, and so I will take this route and hope that it goes well.
> 
> Looking back, it's been a year and a half since I updated the story, and I honestly toyed with the idea of trolling everyone by ending it this chapter with the destruction of the world. But, that'd be a waste, wouldn't it~
> 
> Onto the next bit.

-Mansion Part 3-

From what Saeko knew of Souichiro Takagi from her father, he was an honorable man, fair in his dealings, diligent as a pupil, and most of all, had an unwavering determination to achieve his vision of a strong, united Japan. The scion of the Takagi Mansion was certainly quite intimidating.

His general demeanor was in stark contrast to the rest of his family. His daughter, Saya, was brilliant, calculating, dismissive, and so very bossy. His wife Yuriko was as brilliant as her daughter, though she seemed somewhat milder, mellower than her. Probably had something to do with the fact that she'd experienced more of the world. Thinking of Saya made Saeko sigh.

She couldn't deny that she'd thought long and hard about the exact nature of the relationship between Saya and Takashi…she hadn't predicated her getting involved with him on mutual exclusivity, of course, but the thought that Takashi and Saya could be more than they seemed did eat away at her mind previously. In the end, she came to the conclusion that they really were too close not to head towards some sort of romantic involvement, despite how dense they were. That had been the point that she had resolved to share Takashi…and by extension, Saya. She'd had doubts about her own sexuality in the past.

Oftentimes, she'd find herself finding people of the same sex as attractive as those of the opposite sex. She'd brushed it aside, like so many people older than her would, as just a phase she was going through in her life. But, maybe, as difficult as she found it to admit to herself, she really did fancy girls as much as she did boys. The only person she had ever had a real crush on had been her senpai from the kendo club, Nao Suzuki. The one she'd been forced to end earlier on. They'd kissed; it had been her first; and she'd told her to follow her heart and that she would always watch over her. And then, Saeko had mercifully ended the gentle girl who'd been the first to steal her heart.

She had toyed with the idea that she was simply rebounding, of course. That wouldn't have been fair on anyone. But, on considering how exceptional the situation she was in was, she was reasonably sure that she wasn't in fact, rebounding, and was simply yearning for companionship of some sort. Plus, she'd know both Saya and Takashi previously, albeit in the virtual world.

She came back to her previous train of thought. That was, a three-way relationship. Anyone who knew her would admit that Saya was exceptionally attractive and interesting. To Saeko, that made it all the more palatable. And so, once she'd been confessed to by Takashi-kun, and she'd resolved that Saya just had to be a part of their lives, she'd done what she could to make sure that Saya was a part of their world. Though, truth be told, she was technically the one entering theirs.

Saeko sighed again. She'd talk to the two of them later. For now, she had Souichiro Takagi to contend with. Souichiro motioned for her to join him in the hall of the dojo. There was a bottle of something laid down on the table at the center. Based on the tiny cups placed in its vicinity, Saeko guessed it was probably sake.

"Please, make yourself comfortable", he said, before making his way to the cabinets at one end of the hall. He retrieved something from there and walked back toward Saeko. She could make vaguely out the form of a sheathed sword.

Saeko sat herself down on one side of the table and looked expectantly at Souichiro. He laid the sword down by his side and poured himself a cup of the liquid. It was clear.

He looked questioningly at Saeko.

She said, "I don't believe I'm legal yet."

"I don't think that really matters in this situation", he countered.

Saeko saw his point. There would be no one around to enforce the law if she did drink. And, it wasn't like she hadn't drunk before. She rather fancied that she could hold her liquor as well as most people. On seeing her nod slightly, Souichiro proceeded to fill her cup as well. They both raised their cups in a toast before throwing their heads back and drinking it down.

Saeko felt the alcohol sear her throat and form a warm spot inside her belly. The liquor was sweet. Not overwhelmingly so, however. Saeko found that she rather liked the taste.

Souichiro was gazing intently at her, searching for a reaction.

Saeko obliged. "That was…nice…and sweet."

Souichiro laughed, a loud, booming sound.

"Nobody deserves to leave this world without knowing the taste of good sake. I heard that in one of those anime Saya used to watch. A rather apt pronouncement."

Saeko raised her eyebrows. "With all due respect, I don't believe I'll be going out anytime soon, sir."

Souichiro held his hands up in a conciliatory gesture.

"Nor was I. Forgive me…I realize that the comment was possibly in bad taste, but you do look like a smart young woman, Miss. Busujima. I believe you realize gravity of the situation we have been put in, having survived for almost a week on your strength and the strength of your friends alone."

Saeko nodded. "The reality is plain for anyone to see, sir. How we find the strength to keep going despite the rather large obstacles is what's important…we will endure, our group is strong, and we can only get stronger. The bonds that hold us, it runs deeper than just the sort that you find between soldiers, between comrades-in-arms. We were innocents less than a week back- we had no blood on our hands, but now, we've watched each other become hunters in our own right, develop the killer instinct necessary to survive. Because now, it's essentially kill or be killed. And to me, there is only one condition, one rule we all live by; it's unspoken, but maybe it needs to be that way…and it this: no one gets left behind."

Souichiro nodded admiringly. "An admirable principle. Maybe Saya did have a point when she said that it didn't matter if you lose your life in this sort of situation, as long as you had your friends and your loved ones by your side…even so, I have to walk the path I feel is the best, and my wife and daughter have seemingly decided that it diverges from my own. My daughter has decided to remain with your group, and it seems my wife will be joining it. As such, their safety and continued existence is entrusted to you…"

Saeko raised her eyebrow at this. "It isn't only me, sir. Our group started with six, and we remained together. Then, Alice joined us with Zero, and it seems Yuriko-san will be the ninth. All of us look out for each other; the roles played by every single one of us is important, and we entrust our safety and continued existence, as you put it, to each other implicitly."

"Yes, but every group has a dynamic, people who play different roles within it…take a classic special ops squad, for instance…you need a sniper, two or three assault class troops, a medic, an engineer, and if you have the luxury of one, a heavy weapons specialist. And somebody to command them all, and that doesn't necessarily mean they're the most skilled…I'm sure you've settled into such roles even in your group, even if it is an unconscious occurrence. And the leader takes the most responsibility for the group's survival…because they have to make the hard choices, take the calculated risks that need to be taken."

"If I were to conjecture where you seem to be going with this, sir, you believe that I am the de facto leader of the group", said Saeko, evenly.

Souichiro nodded, commenting, "It would be the natural choice in my opinion."

"And why is that so, sir, if you don't mind me asking?"

"You have the most experience fighting, even if was in a controlled environment, and you have held down leadership positions in martial arts societies, something I don't believe anyone else in the group can say…additionally, you are the oldest, barring the nurse Ms. Marikawa, who by all counts, is probably not the sort of material you'd look for in a leader…from the outside looking in, all roads point to you."

Saeko looked at Souichiro evenly. Her mind had already formed the sort of opinion most others had of him- a man who valued practicality above all else, a man who had the power to be a leader, to lead others, but whose followers would always follow him out of respect, awe and fear, and not out of love or kinship. A ruthless leader, probably one who treated those around him as resources rather than as people. The sort who would do well in a military setting.

Unconsciously, she started drawing comparisons to Takashi, almost the polar opposite in terms of the way he led the group, though he was more the de facto leader, than the recognized one as such. Takashi always looked to get everyone's opinion, preferring discussion over quick-fire decision making, and everyone in the group got along with him, remained happy to follow what he decided because he was just that likable. And, he hadn't led them astray yet. He would be the sort of leader, who might be considered weak or uneven, because he didn't seem to realize the authority he held, but did his best to rise past his shortcomings. He commanded loyalty, rather than awe, and friendship, rather than fear. He believed every single person was as indispensable as the next, and Saeko got the feeling that he'd probably fall apart if they lost anyone, having been together, getting through everything that had been thrown at them thus far. And really, so would everyone else, for that matter.

It was a scary thought, that. The thought that any one of them could die the next time they fought, that they could actually lose someone. It was a very real possibility, but sometimes, it was best not to think of the worst case scenario, and remain hopeful that each new dawn would bring something better, something that could possibly get them a step closer to weathering the shit-storm that had been thrown at them. Souichiro had been right when he gave that little speech- this was the stark reality of the world they lived in today.

Saeko cleared her throat. "What you say isn't completely true, Takagi-sama. Rei was technically the captain of the Sojutsu club. But, that's beside the point, I do believe that the general of an army isn't necessarily the most experienced or even the most skilled soldier; in most situations, it's the one who can best make use of the people under them, who can galvanize everyone towards the same goal, and work together. You look for these qualities in a leader, and the circumstances the group is faced with also plays an important part in that. As far as our group goes, I am most certainly not that…I maybe the deadliest fighter, but I lack the qualities to make everyone follow a common goal…in our group, that role is probably played by Takashi…it's something we have agreed on, more or less."

"Hmm…Takashi, yes, he has grown into a fine young man…but he strikes as the sort who is easily swayed…he lacks the ruthlessness to make hard choices, and that may cost all of you."

"To an extent, that may be true…but, we're fully willing to bear the cost. Our situation is not enviable, we're just a group of teenagers, still in high school, but we've been forced to grow a decade in less than a week, and so far, we've done well enough. Going forward, maybe the choice will prove wrong, but like Saya said, it's okay to die as long as you have the people you care about around you...the attitude may reek of fatalism, but frankly, we are in a fight to survive, and together, we've been strong enough so far. Takashi isn't a conventional leader, by any means, but he has something that holds us together, and his instincts have not led us astray…and that gives the courage to put our faith in him. To keep putting our faith in him."

"Hmm, you may be right…and I do have a habit of underestimating the perceptiveness of my daughter. She thinks…rather differently from me, and sometimes, I wondered if she praised Takashi all the time only because she saw him through the eyes of a person in love with him, and not as a completely objective party…and it's quite possible I may have not been totally…dispassionate about it as well, having known him since he was a boy; maybe I need to reshape my opinion of him. Since I hear such high praise from so many others…certainly, he seems to have grown up in a way I'd never have imagined…"

Saeko lingered on the comment about Saya loving Takashi. It was a casual comment thrown to help him make his point, but she supposed he would be a good source of information about the relationship the two shared before. She wanted to understand them better, and every opinion helped.

"I'm sorry, sir, but you mentioned that Saya loved Takashi? What exactly do you mean by that?"

Souichiro raised his eyebrow. "Hmm? Saya and Takashi? How do I say this…those two have been inseparable, almost unhealthily so, for as long as I can remember…My wife and I are rather…over-protective, and since we cannot spend as much time as we would like with our daughter…we detail some of our men to keep a watch on her movements at all times, just to make sure…we obviously give her the freedom to do as she pleases, but it never hurts to be careful…anyway, I digress, the point is that, she spends at least three fourths of her waking hours in his company, more if they can manage it; I understand that their reputation at the gaming center near Takashi's home is something akin to legendary…and the two of them seem so co-dependent. We had suspicions about the nature of their relationship, but we were willing to let them go at their own pace…and it isn't like we don't trust or disapprove of Takashi. As I've said before, they've been inseparable since they were children. Maybe, we accepted it much longer back than we care to admit."

Saeko's lips curved into a smile. "Thank you for telling me, sir."

"Think nothing of it. Now, if I may counter with a question of my own, why exactly are you so interested in this matter?" Souichiro was almost smiling.

Saeko blushed. She cleared her throat, and said, "Um, first off, I think it would be prudent to ask exactly what you suspect or how much you know, if anything."

Souichiro laughed. "The best swords mistresses got to where they were because of the cerebral way they approached their art. You certainly struck me as that kind of fighter when I watched the high school kendo tournaments. Your skill is backed by a calm, analytical and logical mind, you practice your craft with skill and precision…anyway, before I praise you too much and bloat your ego, I should go back to your original question…I know of the kiss you shared with my daughter, and I also know of the kiss she shared with Takashi soon after, near the koi pond. If you would care to explain, I would be grateful. Know that I will not judge whatever it is you have with either Takashi or Saya."

Saeko shook her head and smiled. "What is there to explain, sir? It is as it seems…the three of us are together. We haven't worked out how exactly we're going to proceed, or what exactly exists between us…but, there is definitely respect, friendship, loyalty and dare I say it, lust. We need to discover for ourselves what we want, and how it'll eventually pan out, none of us can say…any one of us could die in the next moment, so it's important to just find happiness where you can. At least, that is my read on the situation. I cannot say I speak for Saya or Takashi; we aren't close enough for that yet. But, I do believe their sentiments will be similar. If you are to punish your daughter for embarking on an unconventional relationship, then you'll have to deal with us too, and we'll have to accept it and move on. But, we will be there for each other the best we can."

Souichiro held up his hands in a conciliatory gesture. "I said that I would not judge you, and I won't. I honestly only want happiness for my daughter, and if she can find it this way, then I will not be an impediment to it. All I can do in this situation is to make sure that she remains as protected as possible. I thank you for you candor…and now that I think about it, your confession will also make my next request of you seem quite shrewd, though it wasn't intended as such." He chuckled.

"What exactly would you require of me, sir?", asked Saeko, curiously.

Takagi picked up the sword at his side, and placed it in between the two of them.

"Please, take it", he said.

Saeko reached out and picked up the sword reverently. It had an ornately carved hilt and scabbard, and it had obviously been well taken care of. It was about three-fourths the length of a normal katana.

"You can open it if you want", commented Souichiro.

Saeko unsheathed the sword and felt its balance. It was an exquisitely crafted double-edged wakizashi.

"What do you think?", asked Souichiro.

"It's exceptionally crafted. Judging by the design, I'd wager it was one of the swords built in the Meiji era. From its perfect balance, it is meant to be an off-hand weapon, paired with a single-edged katana…" Saeko took a deep breath. "I wonder if it has any relationship to the katana Takashi-kin found for me at the shrine nearby…"

Souichiro nodded his head. "All that you say is correct, and to answer your question-yes, the sword that used to be at the shrine, the one which you now wield, and sword I've just given you are a pair. They were the two used by the legendary swords mistress Sunako Chiba…one of the heroes of the Battle of Toba Fushimi, and subsequently, a legendary wanderer of justice. It is fitting that you continue her legacy. I entrust this to you in the hopes that it will help you protect my daughter, my wife and your entire group on your travels, to whatever end, bitter or happy. It goes without saying that I do prefer that the latter possibility come to pass."

Saeko sheathed the sword and closed her eyes, seemingly meditating on how to reply.

Presently, she said, "If you'd asked me to simply take it without giving me a reason for it, I would not have been able to accept it. However, I do find myself wavering now that you entrusted it to me with a promise to do something I had always intended to do…I confess that it is tempting to accept it right here and now, but I will need more convincing. Why not entrust it to somebody else, Takashi, or Saya or even Tanaka-san?"

Souichiro laughed heartily. "I was fully expecting you to provide some resistance to simply accepting the sword, and I foresaw at least some of your questions. For that, I am happy…and to answer your query, let me ask you a question. Who else, apart from you could make use of the sword? From what I've seen, Takashi prefers the use of blunt weapons, Hirano seems to be more a gunsmith, and my wife and daughter have never been trained in the art of sword fighting. I have my own sword to match my fighting style. In short, this sword, which was once wielded by Sunako Chiba, one of the finest pieces of weapon craftsmanship from our country, will just gather dust and rust if not used by a competent swordsman or woman. That would be a waste, wouldn't you agree, Miss. Busujima?"

He looked at Saeko intently.

Saeko looked at him evenly for a moment, before sighing and conceding defeat.

She stood up, knelt before him, and said, "Okay, you've made your point, sir. With your permission, I will borrow this sword for use in my journey, and use it to destroy my enemies and protect my friends. Once I have completed my mission, I will return it to you with my gratitude for allowing me use of it."

Souichiro nodded, and stood up himself, picking up the sword in the process.

He offered it to the kneeling Saeko, hilt first and said, "I thank you for considering my request, Miss. Busujima. I can now rest easy, knowing that this sword is being wielded by someone as skilled and competent as you, and that my family will be that much better protected as a consequence. You may consider it your own from this point on, though I will not complain if you were to return it to me at your journey's conclusion, should you have no further use of it. I would be jubilant if that were to pass, in fact, for it will indicate that both of us survived the greatest test humanity may have faced in its short history."

Saeko accepted the hilt of the sword and bowed. "Thank you, Sir Takagi. I hope I can live up to your high expectations of the wielder of this sword."

"I have no doubt you will, Miss. Busujima", said Souichiro, as he released the sheath.

Saeko sat back down, the wakizashi joining her katana's side, as Souichiro took his seat as well. Souichiro cleared his throat and said, "Well, that was honestly all I had for you, Miss. Busujima…but I would like to give you some advice, as all adults are wont to do."

Saeko inclined her head, saying, "I would be grateful to listen to whatever you have to say, sir."

Souichiro nodded, and began, "You are all leaving on the most challenging and dangerous journey in your lives. Make no mistake about it, this is the apocalypse; the world we live in is worse than the darkest pits of hell…My advice to you is this: keep your loved ones close, trust your instincts, and never give up fighting while you still have strength. Even when all seems lost, and everything seems hopeless, never lose your will to live. If you're alive, there is always hope; as long as you breathe, you cannot give up. Everyone deserves to live as much as you do, but nobody deserves a zombified mindless existence. Putting them down is a mercy. Never compromise your morals or humanity, no matter what the situation is, however hard it may prove, because if you compromise that, then you're worse than the plague you seek to erase…Lastly, I certainly hope we meet again in this world again, at the end of it all, but if this is to be the last time we share a drink, then I would like to say that it has been a pleasure and a privilege to know and trace the development of the daughter of the great Master Busujima to a formidable, dependable warrior who commands awe and respect from everyone around her…I fully believe that you will far surpass all of us."

Saeko replied, smiling, "I thank you for your kind words, sir, and I will keep it in mind. Thank you for the drink, and next time, it's on me."

Souichiro laughed. A big booming laugh, but that much more obvious in its genuineness.

"I will hold you to that, but for now, may I offer you another cup of sake?"

Saeko nodded, saying, "Certainly, sir. Most kind of you."

Souichiro poured her another cup of the clear liquid, and the two drank it down, maintaining a companionable silence.

Presently, Saeko said, "Well, Takagi sir, it has been a pleasure to meet with you. I know you are an extremely busy man, so I'd like to thank you for your time. I will take my leave of you now, so that you may meet with Takashi and everyone else."

She stood up and bowed. Souichiro stood up and did the same, saying, "You may go, Miss. Busujima. My best wishes go with you. Thank you for meeting with me and allowing me to aid you in my small way."

"On the contrary, sir, you have helped me immensely…I really cannot thank you enough. I will find Takashi to let him know to meet you now, if you are agreeable."

"Yes, that will be very helpful. Thank you."

Saeko walked out of the dojo, a sheathed sword in each hand, to find Takashi so that she could send him on his way to meet Saya's father as well.

 _Footnote: Well, I had to insert one of these here; it's been a year and a half. It may be a bit rough at the start, so I'll keep editing it when I get the time, if I think of a better way to express some part of the story. Ignore the last chapter's footnote, Mansion will have more parts. I intend to take every opportunity I can to flesh out the characters, give you an idea of their motivations, their opinions, their behavior, their demeanor, etc., Anyway, you can rest assured I'll put the next one up much sooner than I put this one up :P_  
Oh and you might wanna re-read the previous chapters too, I've edited quite a few segments of them to keep up with the story direction change I was talking about. This chapter maybe uneven in bits, so do let me know if there are any grammatical errors or words that aren't supposed to be where they are :D  
Nobody's perfect but I fucking hate writing English wrong.

_Thanks for being patient! Peace xD_


	9. Mansion - Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another one...
> 
> *sigh*

Takashi walked around the gardens of the Takagi estate, whistling tunelessly. He made sure to remain close enough to the dojo so that he could be found, once Saeko was done talking to Souichiro. It struck him that this was the most relaxed their group would probably be in a very long time…They had the time to stop and catch a breath. For a time. And so, he reflected on all that had happened since the outbreak scarcely a week prior. He'd transformed so much from then; from the aimless teen wandering through life into a veteran of several battles and near-death experiences.

The first person he'd killed had been his once-friend, Hisashi. Since then, he'd slain many tens, possibly hundreds of Them. And everyone around him had transformed too. Saeko had channeled her inner violence to become a Goddess of Destruction, dealing death in her wake with the quick, precise strokes of her sword. Kohta Hirano, the gun-crazy otaku, had put all his previously useless theoretical knowledge to practical use, effectively becoming their quartermaster. Saya's genius and decision-making ability had come to the fore, as she proved herself more than capable of making the right decisions time and again, and handling the pressure of taking the risks, putting everyone around her in danger, but not so much that they would perish too. Alice and Zeke were changing too, insisting on helping however they could, getting involved in the bloodshed. Shizuka Marikawa, the ditzy blond nurse in normal life, became a crazy stunt-artist who'd probably give the greatest rally drivers a run for their money, whenever she got behind the wheel of her friend's Humvee. And that wasn't even taking into consideration her almost savant-like grasp of medicine and medical treatment.

Honestly, the only one who'd started acting…crazy, and who hadn't really stepped up to be counted, had been Rei. Takashi couldn't really blame her. Hisashi's death must have had a profound effect upon her. The fact that she had no idea if her parents were alive or dead probably exacerbated the situation. Rei had never been a particularly strong person. Selfish, arrogant, impatient, clingy…those were the words had been used to people in the past to describe her. Takashi considered her a good friend, but even he could see that she was a liability unless she didn't change. But, they had to make sure she was safe; they had to pick up the slack where she failed. Because he could never go against his own guiding principle- that no one got left behind.

The first time he'd heard it had been in an English language name, called Mass Effect…that particular phrase had always stayed with him. Whenever he played the online tournaments their team signed up for, that they inevitably won. They were the best team in Japan for a reason, and it was their teamwork. He wished he could have met 'Zan' and 'ST', the other two members of their unbeatable five member team.

They were supposed to have met a month later, in the first offline tournament held for the game in Japan, where e-sports was just taking off. If they'd won there, they would have had the chance to attend the World Championships. An opportunity to take on the best of the world. But, that had been snatched away.

In their current world, where preserving the surviving remnants of humanity was so very important, the principle held even more true. Takashi would never ever abandon anyone if he could help it.

He then turned his mind to Mrs. Yuriko. He didn't really know all that much about her past, except for the parts he'd learnt from Saya and his mother. The conversations with his mother hadn't been exactly frequent, what with most of them devolving into shouting matches that were mostly defused by his peace-loving father. Saya had a similar relationship with her mother, far as he could tell. Which meant that his experiences helped him play peacemaker quite effectively. There were parts of Yuriko's life even Saya didn't know about; and Takashi had a feeling that she would be extremely useful to their cause.

His musings were interrupted by someone calling his name. He shook himself out of his reverie and spotted Saeko walking up to him, still dressed in the kimono that made her look so extraordinarily beautiful. There was a change, however. It hit Takashi just as he reached her. She had two swords, one at each side. She embraced and kissed him deeply. He responded as well as he could.

Saeko broke away and smiled brightly at Takashi.

"I got the pair to the sword", she said. "Takagi-sama had it in his dojo. He lent it to me for this journey."

Takashi's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Well, that seems almost…providential", he commented, his face breaking into a grin.

He whistled. "Now, we'll really see Saeko Busujima unleashed."

Saeko's face fell slightly. "Yeah, there's nothing holding me back now, is there?", she commented, sounding almost sad.

Takashi sensed that Saeko was dredging up unhappy memories and hugged her tightly.

"It's what you do that defines you, Saeko-chan. The fact that you become the goddess of death herself to help your friends is not a bad thing…it actually shows how noble your character is-that you push yourself so hard to protect those you care about. There is no person in the world who has the right to judge you for it."

Saeko relaxed into the embrace, and nodded into his shoulder. "Thanks, Takashi", she whispered. Takashi released her, smiling. Saeko saw only care and admiration behind the smile, and that gave her the strength to smile back.

"Takagi-sama requested me to find you and let you know to meet him at the dojo at your convenience."

"Oh, that's good, I'll go now."

Takashi made his way towards the dojo, Saeko walking by his side.

At the entrance, she said, "I will find my way back to our room. Sir Takagi is in the study. Good luck, Takashi-kun."

Takashi smiled and nodded at her before entering the hall of the Takagi dojo. He had been in there multiple times, and he purposefully made his way to the left end of the hall, where the door to the study lay. He rapped on the door, entering as soon as he heard a muffled 'Come in!' from the other end.

Souichiro Takagi sat behind the desk. He seemed to be pulling something out of the drawer. He produced a bottle of something and two cups.

He looked up to see Takashi, and smiled at him. He motioned to the seat opposite his, saying, "Thank you for coming, Takashi. Please, take a seat."

He opened the lid on the bottle, and poured measures of a clear liquid into both cups. Takashi took his seat and looked at Souichiro intently.

Souichiro gazed back, then seemed to remember something, and he looked at Takashi, saying, "I suppose you have drunk sake before, Takashi?"

Takashi nodded affirmatively, though it wasn't strictly legal for him to be drinking.

"Good, then I don't need to feel guilty about offering you sake. Here you go."

Takashi accepted, commenting, "Technically, I'm underage, but I do enjoy sake".

Souichiro laughed. "I'll be sure to keep your secret under wraps", he said, winking good-naturedly.

Takashi smiled back and accepted the cup. The two men clinked their glasses together together, before drinking it down. The teenager felt the alcohol burn his throat and soon, a warmth form in the pit of his stomach.

"Care for a refill?', asked Souichiro.

Takashi nodded saying, "Yes, please. Thank you, sir."

Souichiro laughed and refilled his glass, saying, "Of course, I'd be a very poor host if I didn't offer my guests a drink."

Once the cup had been refilled, Souichiro said, "Now, Takashi, do you know why I wished to meet with you?"

Takashi thought for a moment and replied, "I confess that I am not entirely sure, sir. However, I believe your wife and daughter are part of the reason?"

Souichiro nodded. "Yes, they are part of the reason, of course. My family is very important to me, but I do believe that going with your group will afford them a very good chance of surviving this…I don't know what I should call it…"

"If I may, sir, we call it the apocalypse amongst ourselves", said Takashi, smiling wryly.

"Apocalypse? Yes, that sounds a good, if rather fatalistic way to put it."

He went silent for a moment, before his face took on a more serious look. "Apocalypse, then. I think that being with you and your motley crew of survivors will probably give them a better chance at surviving this apocalypse than what I could offer them. So, I am happy that Yuriko took the step to be with Saya. Saya and you have been together ever since you were literally babies, and I couldn't expect her to prefer the company of a strict, absentee father to you, her chosen partner."

Takashi's eyebrows went up in surprise. "Sir, what do you mean by, 'her chosen partner'?"

Souichiro looked surprised. "Well, aren't you two partners in everything? I mean, my daughter is practically your other half. Nine times out of ten, you could be found where she is."

Takashi blushed slightly. "Err, umm…it's not…I mean…its…", he blabbered, desperately trying to will coherent, clearly formed words.

Souichiro put up a hand. "None of us mind at all, Takashi-kun. Quite frankly, I would go so far as saying I'm happy with her choice."

"Thank you, sir.", Takashi managed.

Then, he thought of something. "But, wait…we aren't exactly partners…I mean, not that I'm against it…and I'm sure she won't be either…wait…"

He saw Souichiro smiling indulgently, and said, "Saeko was here before me, and Saya would've talked to you for sure. All that's left for me to ask is, exactly how much do you know, sir?"

Souichiro laughed heartily. "A great deal. It takes a brave young man to accept the feelings of two teenage girls simultaneously. I do not envy you, Takashi. I know that you would not have taken these steps lightly, and I do commend your confidence. The fact that Miss. Busujima has also decided to rely on you, in addition to my daughter tells me a lot. You have grown into a fine, dependable young man. Your leadership has come to the fore in this dark time, and your group now looks to you to guide them."

Takashi looked at the cup in silence. "I don't feel like I've grown at all, actually. Everything I've done, its been instinct…I haven't done anything special, just followed my gut and hope nothing went wrong. I don't know what everyone expects from me…I'm no great fighter, I'm not all that intelligent or knowledgeable. I just try to help out where I can."

Souichiro steeped the fingers of his hands together, and considered Takashi. "Your group needed someone like you, and you stepped up. Different groups have a different dynamic. What your group needed to lead them onwards, was you. And I have sensed before that you've always had the ability to lead, if not the inclination."

Takashi shook his head. "Everyone keeps saying that, but honestly, I don't know. But, I promised myself that I'd be whatever I was needed to be, and if I need to be this, then I will do it the best I can. For my friends…and for Saya and Saeko."

Souichiro commented, "This is generally what any good leader believes, more or less. You adapt to your group, and not the other way around. I entrust Yuriko and Saya to your able leadership. I would like to request that you keep them safe."

Takashi nodded solemnly. "With my life."

Souichiro shook his head. "No, not with your life. I do not think your group would survive long without any one of its components. You need to keep yourself alive as much as my daughter and wife."

Takashi considered this in silence. "I believe people are stronger and more resilient than that, sir. I do see your point, but I cannot hesitate, or doubt what my instincts tell me; they've worked thus far, and I think they are good."

"Well said", said Souichiro.

He looked at Takashi appraisingly. "You have grown well."

Takashi scratched his head. "Grown, maybe. Well, I'm not so sure, sir. But, I'll do what I need to."

"So, if you don't mind me asking, what do you plan to do now? Your friends and you?"

"We plan to stick together. I need to try to make contact with mum and Rei wants to find her parents. We'll use the Humvee we came in – Shizuka drives that thing like a pro, and I'm hoping Yuriko-san will be able to help out with that too."

Souichiro nodded. "Driving is one of Yuriko's many talents. No worries there. You'll need fuel for your vehicle as well?"

Takashi nodded and said, "Yes, but I believe Saya already settled that with your mechanic. We should have more than enough."

Souichiro smiled. "It is gratifying to see my daughter able to foresee all these things and plan out ways to avoid trouble. You are a good influence."

Takashi blushed slightly. "I hardly think its down to me, sir. She is a genius, and she's using her brilliance in a practical sense, forced by the situation we've been thrown into. All of us have found strengths we'd never believed we possessed."

Souichiro looked thoughtful. "Yes, yes…I will have to agree. You influence each other to amplify your strengths and cover up your weaknesses. At the core of it, is friendship, and care for your loved ones, your extended family. The bonds that tie you all together are strong."

Takashi shrugged. "We've been through hell and had each other's backs. We'll go through more hell, and keep doing that. It's just what we do."

"The camaraderie in your group is…enviable", said Souichiro. "Anyway, enough of the digression; what's your next step?"

Takashi thought for a minute. "Ah yes, we will make our way to the Taiei shopping center first. Both my parents and Rei's live around that area."

"Why specifically the shopping center?"

Takashi shrugged his shoulders. "So we can refill our supplies. Also, just before the HANE hit, we were talking to Shizuka-sensei's friend, Rika. She owned the apartment we stayed at, and the Humvee…and all the armaments too. She's apparently a pretty big shot in the Jieitai."

Souichiro held up a hand to stop Takashi. He appeared to consider this information in silence for a moment, thoughtful expression on his face. "By any chance, is her full name Rika Minami?"

Takashi crinkled his eyebrows to remember. "Yes…yes, I believe it is."

Souichiro's eyes lit up in recognition. "Rika Minami, the best markswoman in the Jieitai by far…she came in second only to the legendary Shinji Moritaka. In a short time, she rose the ranks to become one of the army's most trusted agents, and could've actually progressed even further, had it not been for her lack of respect for the hierarchy…A real talent: heretical, brilliant and magnetic. I admired her…I do wonder though, you say she's the nurse's friend. Hmm…", he said, then shook his head. "Okay, so you're going to this complex and looking for your parents and the nurse's friend. What then?"

"We haven't thought about what we'll do beyond that, sir. We'll cross that bridge when we reach it, depending on our condition, what each member in the group wants…there are many things to consider."

Souichiro nodded. He gave Takashi a hard look. "So far, everyone seems to agree on what to do. You have a consensus in your group. But down the line, there will be differing opinions. Arguments…Are you willing to abandon your friends if they don't agree to one course of action? Will you let your group fragment? Break apart so that each individual can follow his chosen path?"

Takashi thought for a moment. "I will follow what I believe is the best path, if people follow me, I will not turn them away. If people do not agree, they are free to do what they choose."

"And what if the one against you is a friend who needs your help on their journey, on whatever quest they are embarking on? Take any one in your current group. The rest of the group will follow what you do. But, you know that it's probably not the best course. Would you still abandon them?"

Takashi thought for a while. At length, he said, "I…do not know. That sort of situation has not arisen yet…but probably not…I will not abandon my friends, because nobody gets left behind."

Souichiro closed his eyes and nodded his head. "I thought so…you will have tough decisions to make ahead, Takashi…I honestly cannot say if you will always make the right ones, but I wish you luck. And hope that your missteps are not costly."

He smiled wryly.

Takashi replied, "Thank you sir…I hope so too. All I honestly want is to live in a world free of all this bullshit…so we can live in peace with the people we care about, instead of having to literally fight every day to survive like in the prehistoric times."

Souichiro laughed heartily. "So, when do you plan to leave?"

"As soon as Rei is able to move freely. Shizuka-sensei estimates that she'll be fine in a day or two. We'll leave the next day after making our preparations."

Souichiro nodded. "Okay, that's honestly all I had to ask…You are all undertaking easily the most dangerous journey in your lives. Make no mistake about it, this is the apocalypse; the world we live in is basically hell…My advice to you is this: continue what you have been doing. You have the confidence and belief in yourself and your friends…never ever lose that trust in each other. As the leader, the guiding figure, it is your job to keep morale up, as much as it is your duty not to screw up. Keep your loved ones close, and never give up fighting while you are still alive. Never lose that will to live. If you're alive, there is always hope; as long as you breathe, you cannot give up. Nobody deserves a zombified mindless existence. Putting them down is a mercy. It goes without saying that you should never compromise your morals or humanity, however hard it may prove. Because if you do compromise them, you're worse than the plague you seek to erase…I hope we meet in this world again, but if we don't, it has been a pleasure to watch my best friend's son grow into such a fine young man. And a relief to know that he will be watching over my only daughter."

Takashi smiled at Souichiro. "Thank you sir, for your encouragement, and your advice. And we will meet again. I will make sure of it!"

"Make use of whatever you need from the estate. You need to be as prepared as possible for what lies ahead…Now, may I refill your drink?"

Takashi noticed that his cup was empty.

He nodded and replied, "Please." Souichiro obliged. Both men raised their cups, hollering, "Kampai!", before drinking it down.

After a while, Takashi arose, "Well, sir, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave. Should you require anything of me, I'll be in the room Saya put us up in."

Souichiro nodded, and replied, "Well, thank you for meeting with me, Takashi-kun. Good luck!", before offering his hand. Takashi shook it firmly, and made his way out of the dojo, and to his room.

_Footnote: These were the most boring chapters I had to write so far, and they had no real point. They were like appendages that would've been too obvious if not present, and too boring to put in. Anyway, hope they didn't meander too much._


	10. Moving on

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just the beginning.  
> They don't move yet.
> 
> Ugh...

-Moving on-

Takashi entered the room which Rei had been occupying ever since their arrival at the Takagi mansion. Everyone else in the group was gathered already. Hirano standing by one of the windows, hands on Alice's shoulders, Zeke at her feet. Saeko sat on a chair, Saya on her left, leaning against the antique table that stood against the wall opposite the door. Yuriko leaned back against the wall adjacent to the door, while Shizuka sat on the bed, keeping an eye on Rei, who lay down on it. Takashi took his place leaning against the table, on Saeko's right. Somewhat fitting, considering the three were an item.

Once she'd made sure Takashi had taken his place, Yuriko moved to close the door shut and allow them to commence their meeting.

Takashi felt like he had to be the one to start, but he wasn't entirely sure. He looked around the room for ideas.

As if sensing his discomfort, Saya said, "All of us are here. Takashi, would you like to start?"

Takashi nodded and stood up straighter, and began. "First off, I'd like to thank everybody for agreeing to meet here today. We've been through a lot together, and I can safely say that we wouldn't be here without each other. We can be proud of what we've accomplished, but unfortunately, the world will not let us rest. We need to continue to fight – for our sanity, and for our survival…To that end, I'd like to introduce Miss. Yuriko Tanaka, Saya's mother. All of us know who she is. We are currently safe in the Takagi estate, thanks in large part to her help. She has expressed a wish to join us on our journey, wherever it takes us next, and I hope I speak for the group when I say that we will never turn away anyone who means us no harm. She has agreed to help us however she can."

Everyone in the room knew that Yuriko was joining their group and had expressed no concerns at the development. Except Rei. She seemed to take the news in her stride, making no comment.

Takashi waited for a while longer, and when nobody raised any objections, he went on, "Okay, since there are no objections, let's formally welcome Yuriko-san to our ragtag company...So, Yuriko-san, welcome to our group!"

Everyone chorused, "Welcome Yuriko-san!"

Yuriko looked around the room, smiling. "Thank you everyone", she called out.

Then, they all laughed at the absurdly dramatic scene they had just enacted. Things like these were what kept them sane. They needed it more than they could have known.

Once they'd recovered, Takashi said, "All right. We called this meeting to discuss what each one of us will be doing, once we leave the Takagi mansion. Based on what I gathered from Takagi-sama, Saya's father, he will collect whoever would like to follow him and leave here in another ten days. He will lead that group to the Okunako dam, and reclaim it so that we could possibly get electricity again across Tokonosu. To be clear, I believe that is everyone's best chance of survival. I'd be lying if I said otherwise. But, I will not go that route. I need to look for my mum on the east side. Rei lives around there as well, and had expressed a desire to search for her parents as well. In addition, we have also arranged to meet Rika-san, Shizuka-sensei's friend at the Taiei shopping complex. I've talked to everyone previously about what they would like to do, so I do have a rough idea. But, I'd like to formalize it. Know that there are absolutely no hard feelings if you choose to go a different route – I do understand if you decide not to stay on with me in case you believe your chances of survival are better going down another path. It is completely your choice."

He looked around the room. Saya was the first to speak. "Well said, Takashi-kun. And I will go with you, to whatever fate awaits. We have been together and had each other's backs for as long as I can remember, and I have no intention of letting that change." She smiled at Takashi.

Saeko was the next to talk. "I'd like to go along with you as well, Takashi-kun. I honestly have no attachments to speak of in the city, and this group has become a sort of extended family to me. I would like to keep traveling with everyone and lending whatever aid I can." Saeko looked evenly at him.

Yuriko spoke next. "Well, I'm the newest member of your group, and I will follow and aid everyone in whatever way I can. Thank you for having me!" She smiled around at everyone.

"Komuro! I'm with you, bro, all the way!", piped up Kohta.

Alice spoke next. "All of you took care of me after Papa died protecting me. I have no real family now, but you guys took me in and made me a part of yours. For that, I'd like to thank all of you. Please continue to take care of Zeke and me."

"Of course, Alice-chan, don't you worry! Trust in Uncle Kohta!" said Kohta, picking up the little girl and petting her.

Everyone laughed.

Then, Shizuka said, "I'll come with you, Takashi-kun. You need a medic, and hopefully, I can meet Rika-chan soon!" She smiled happily.

Rei was the only one left. "I'm coming too; I have to find out if my parents are okay. Even if they aren't, I couldn't live with myself if I didn't confirm it with my own eyes, at the very least. It goes without saying, but I will try to help as much as I am able to, even though I'm currently somewhat indisposed", she said.

Takashi nodded and went on, "Good, so what I'm getting is this - we're sticking together. Honestly, that's gratifying to hear. I have come to rely on you guys as my comrades-in-arms in the short time we have spent together. Let's continue to rely on each other, make new, stronger bonds and get through this nightmare, being each other's strengths. Pick each other up when we're down, and no one gets left behind."

Yuriko commented, "An admirable notion, Takashi-kun. I'm glad that you're our leader."

Takashi looked surprised. "Huh, we don't really have a leader, per se, Yuriko-san."

"Oh, come off it. You're the leader, and stop whining about it", said Saya.

Saeko nodded in agreement, saying "Takashi, Saya is right. We all have strengths and weaknesses, attributes that serve us well in certain roles, and counts us out of others. In order to maximize our chances of survival, we will need to step up. You are obviously the one voice that everyone here is willing to follow, and that makes you the perfect choice."

Takashi coughed nervously and scratched his head. "I always look for consensus among everyone before making a choice. I'm not a leader…I'm more of a mediator."

Saya bopped Takashi on the head and gesticulated impatiently as if to tell him he was being stupid, while Saeko commented, "A leader can lead the group through consensus and mediation, rather than dictatorship. This sort of approach is not wrong or unheard of, after all."

There was silence for a while before, Kohta spoke up, saying, "I haven't really thought about what we've been doing until now…fighting zombies is something that you do only in video games or read about in fantasy books, after all. In the beginning, I was scared, but that was before I met all of you guys. To be honest, I think the first ones who really understood what was going on – that we were in a fight for our survival, were Takashi and Saeko. I don't think anyone will disagree when I say that Saeko is easily the best fighter we have…but that also means that she doesn't really have the time or possibly, the inclination to look after us and direct us…and she isn't really a leader. A general, maybe. Anyone who's seen her fight is in awe of her skills. Watching her create a symphony of destruction with her sword is something that is beautiful and terrifying. But, you know, she is not someone who really seems to care for leadership… at least from what I've observed. No offense, Saeko-san", he looked at her apologetically.

Saeko nodded and commented, "I agree with you completely, Kohta-kun. I am not a leader. I am fully aware that I lack the requisite understanding of people or how to work around their weaknesses, and amplify their strengths. I fear that I cannot drive them towards a goal, and work towards a plan. I can execute, but I cannot lead. I live for the fight and to protect people, and I need to be focused on that fully. You have read the situation admirably." She smiled at Kohta warmly.

Kohta blushed and smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Saeko-san. So, as I was saying, the only other person who realized the gravity of the situation, read what was required and really galvanized everyone to action was Takashi-kun. He identified what everyone's strengths were, and gave them the best tools on hand to utilize them effectively. He sounded everyone out on how we had to move on, planned the best course forward, given the circumstances, and took care of the whole group, making sure we stayed in one piece. We got the rest we needed, when we needed it. Every one of us had a role to play, and it was Takashi who suggested what we needed to do and gave us the belief to do it. Now, I'm not saying we're so good that we haven't been bruised. But the fact remains that, we put ourselves on the line for each other so many times since this began, and we scraped through it all, relatively intact. We owe a lot to each other, some more than others, but there's no doubt in my mind that the one directing us so far was Takashi. Saya-san planned things through and looked for avenues to reach our goals more efficiently. She was the battle master. I looked after the guns, Alice-chan looked after the ammo, and Shizuka-sensei drove and acted as the medic. Saeko-san was the frontline with Rei-san to help her out, her trusty sidekick, but Takashi was right where he needed to be, picking up the slack wherever it cropped up. And now, we all meet here again, and none of us want to leave the group. All the friendships and relationships we've made with each other over the last week or so has kept us together. And I don't want it to stop. I trust in the path you guys take forward, and I'll do whatever I can to back everyone up, to whatever end. Takashi-kun's leadership hasn't led us astray yet, and I trust that it never will."

Rei started clapping at that, and everyone slowly joined in, all except Takashi, who looked stunned at the proceedings.

Rei said, "Couldn't have said it better myself, Kohta-kun. Subconsciously, I think we've all been following Takashi-kun's directives because we trust in them. I think this is as good a time as any to formalize it."

Everyone looked expectantly at Takashi, who seemed to be frozen in place, expression akin to someone who'd just seen a ghost.

Saya walked up to him. "Earth to Takashi. Hello! You there."

Takashi's expression changed slightly, but he still looked dazed. His mind roiled with anxious thoughts, as he struggled to process what had just happened. He couldn't just become the leader of the group, just like that! He also struggled to process how this was sprung on him by everyone, almost like a pre-planned charade. This was not fair! He needed time to react…

Suddenly, he felt a warm pressure against his lips. This seemed familiar…and it felt so good. He melted into it, allowing Saya to deepen her kiss, stopping the thoughts flitting through his mind.

Presently, Saya broke away for air, smiled at him impishly and asked, "You calmed down yet?"

Takashi nodded, before realizing that Saya had kissed him right in front of everyone! The thought brought a fierce red blush to his cheeks.

Saya looked around the room, and nonchalantly threw out, "Oh, and we're together."

Saeko shook her head, walked up to Takashi purposefully, and claimed his lips possessively. Once she'd broken away, she said, "Yeah, we are too."

Saya and Saeko then held hands and stood next to each other. Everyone looked stunned.

Takashi cleared his throat and tried to smooth over the situations saying, "Um, okay. So, we'll have to make preparations to leave. Shizuka-sensei, how long will Rei take to completely recover?"

Shizuka blinked a few times, and shook her head to compose herself. She contemplated the query, and at length, replied, "Another day, I think. She should be able to move around well enough after that."

Takashi nodded. "Okay, let's aim to leave the day after tomorrow. We'll use Rika-san's Humvee – it's already being refueled, and should be big enough to take all of us."

Kohta chimed in, "I'll make sure to double check the guns and armaments by then."

Takashi nodded and said, "Thanks, guys. Our immediate destination will be the Taiei Shopping Complex, near where Rei's and my parents live. We have already spoken to Rika-san, Shizuka-sensei's friend, and arranged to meet with her there."

Yuriko said, "And I'll try to get a hold of some maps of Tokonosu. Goodness knows what we might face out there, so it will help all of us to have a way to figure out our way to the meeting point."

Saya nodded and said, "Great idea, Mommy. I'll help you out and we can mark out the landmarks for anyone who gets lost."

Yuriko nodded, and then addressed Kohta. "Hirano-kun…I'm not sure if you loaded up on ammunition for my gun of choice."

Kohta shook his head, and said, "I'm not sure which one that is, Yuriko-san."

"An Uzi, and a Magnum."

Kohta smiled and replied, "I promise to get down to restocking on both of those as well. Thanks for letting me know. I think Saya also prefers the same ones."

Yuriko nodded and smiled at Kohta, saying, "Thank you, Hirano-kun."

Takashi clapped his hands, and said, "Okay, sounds like we have a plan. Let's all prepare for our moving out, everyone. Thank you all, for coming to this meeting."

Rei had been stunned by Saya, and then Saeko kissing Takashi. She had also noticed Saya and Saeko holding hands before and after the fact. Before, she'd hoped that Saya and Saeko alone were together, but the fact that they seemed so…close to Takashi didn't sit well with her. Even though Saya was Takashi's oldest and best friend, Rei had always thought that their friendship didn't go beyond just that. Even sibling love would have been okay. But, romantic involvement? She never ever imagined that it would go that route.

She had hoped against hope, that she had a chance, still. However, she hadn't considered that it could be three people, together in an intimate relationship. Did they all love each other? But, she loved Takashi and Takashi alone. She couldn't lose to the other two, especially since it looked like they also had the hots for each other as well. All of her love was for Takashi alone, with no one else to share in it. She definitely could not lose once Takashi had been convinced of it…could she? Takashi did love her…right?

She missed Hisashi. She missed the relationship she'd had before with Takashi, even if it always seemed like he preferred Saya to her. Even if she had never really been number one in his eyes. During their childhood, Saya had always come first, despite their promise to marry each other once they were old enough. Or, was it always a one-sided promise that Rei had made to Takashi? She had to make a play somehow. Anything to avoid the complete and utter defeat she felt at that moment. The moment when Takashi had been set upon and kissed by not one, but two girls. And none of the aforementioned girls was her.

Before she lost her nerve, she spoke up, asking, "Takashi, would it be okay if we could speak in private?"

Takashi seemed slightly surprised at the request, but he quickly assented to it, saying "Okay, sure. No problem. I'll wait outside, and come in once Shizuka-sensei checks you over."

Everyone filed out of the room in short order, to complete their outstanding tasks – Alice and Zeke with Kohta, Saya with Yuriko, and Saeko stuck around with Takashi, as he waited for Shizuka's check-up/treatment of Rei to complete.

-0—

_Note: Been a while since I updated any of the stories, but I haven't really found much time with work and other pursuits. Also, it's going a lot slower now, probably due to the fact that I'm not writing as much as I used to. I'm trying to create a more regular writing schedule; hopefully, that'll speed up the frequency of updates._


	11. A Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They're still at the freaking mansion...

-A Conversation-

Saeko and Takashi stood at the balcony near Rei's room. Nurse Shizuka had shooed them out of the room while she carried out her ministrations on Rei's injuries. Presumably, it involved stripping Rei of her clothes to rub ointment on her back. She obviously felt that she had to protect Rei's modesty. Rightly so, as far as Takashi and Saeko were concerned. They did not mind being driven out of the room. Plus, Rei had wanted to talk to Takashi alone, and Saeko had promised to help Shizuka take stock of their medical supplies. The two of them stood together in a companionable silence, as they waited.

"So, what do you think Rei wants?", asked Saeko, presently.

Takashi shrugged. "Hell if I know. To be honest, we have not really been on the best of terms for a while."

Saeko nodded, commenting, "It is obvious, however, that she still does have feelings for you."

Takashi looked at Saeko quizzically, trying to discern whether there was any hidden meaning behind that comment. Saeko looked back at him impassively. Takashi broke his gaze away from his girlfriend and look up at the sky above.

"Yes, even I can tell that she does. And I'm normally quite oblivious, as Saya puts it, to these things. But, I can't help think that she's going through a rebound phase, with Hisashi dead and all. I mean, we haven't been close for over a year."

Saeko chuckled at that. "It is possible. However, I don't believe she ever really attached the same depth of emotion to Hisashi-san, as she had to you. Probably, it is still the case."

"You really think so?", asked Takashi, looking at Saeko seriously.

Saeko nodded, and said, "My intuition tells me that. And since people smarter than me have placed great value up on a woman's intuition in several different pieces of literature, fictitious or otherwise, across history, I'd err on the side of caution and take myself seriously." She gave Takashi a wry smile.

Takashi grinned. "Yes, I think we definitely should, Saeko-sama. Your intuition is formidable. It's saved me on a number of occasions. I fancy it'll save me on several more before this adventure is done." Saeko punched him lightly on the shoulder, as the two of them laughed.

Presently, Takashi said, "On a more serious note, you may have something there…something did happen that may lend credence to your intuition. The night before we left Rika-san's place, just prior to me going down to save Alice-chan, and several times after that, Rei tried to…"

"Come on to you", finished Saeko.

Takashi looked at her, surprised. "You noticed?"

Saeko gave Takashi a lopsided smirk. "Of course I did. I wasn't that far away from where you were. Also, Saya mentioned something about what happened on the car ride to this place …You see…"

She suddenly blushed then, slightly embarrassed. Takashi waited, a smirk of his own, forming on his mouth.

She gave him a look, before ploughing on, "Apparently, we were both making 'eyes' at each other the whole journey. And Rei was making eyes at you, and getting peeved that you were not responding. It was one of the reasons she fell the way she did and got injured. She was not paying attention to her surroundings..."

Saeko noticed that Takashi had a blush of his own forming on his face. She laughed at that and asked him playfully, "Embarrassed that you got caught?"

Takashi looked away, mumbling, "Saya is a hawk. You have to be careful of her all the time".

Saeko laughed louder, before turning his face back towards her, and delivering a sweet kiss on his lips. "I didn't really mind. I was happy…not that Rei was injured or that she was coming on to you, of course…but that you had the same idea of me. That I had of you, I mean. Or something like that…But you know, you have to prepare, and decide how you are going to react to whatever she says or does."

She looked at him intently. Takashi nodded slowly and looked away, out at the garden below.

"I have no romantic feelings for her at all", he said, at length.

Then, he pondered on something for a while, before going on. "I'm not sure if I ever did. I mean, if I did, I would have asked her a while back. If I'd felt strongly, I would have put myself out there and done it. But, I didn't. I was always happy with the way things were, and honestly, once I found out she was going out, I was upset because she hadn't trusted me with that information, not because I wasn't the one going out with her. I felt that, as one of her closer friends, I deserved to know, at the very least. Plus there was that matter of why she had been held back a year…I mean, wouldn't you tell your friends about something that major, at least? She was not a bad student, by any stretch."

Saeko interrupted, "She was in my class, and yes, she was above average. Hardly the kind of student to be held back for academic reasons."

Takashi nodded, and continued, "So, instead of just telling me about it, she pops up in the same class Saya and I were in, and attends lessons."

He shook his head and sighed. "All in all, that period of my life was weird, because I started questioning the nature of friendship, and how the value and weight of it could be perceived so differently by the two parties that are involved in it. Maybe, I didn't know Rei as well as I'd thought…"

He chuckled, and gave Saeko a wry smile. "Saya always maintained that she'd started going out with Hisashi in order to to make me jealous…and accompanied that statement with several colorful names to describe her. It is quite safe to say that she does not have a particularly high opinion of Rei."

Saeko nodded. "I gathered as much. I must say that, though I may not be as…caustic in my estimation of her as Saya-chan, I did also get the feeling that Rei was rather selfish and stubborn. I've said it before, and I'll say it again - Saya's views would have definitely affected you, sub-consciously at the very least. Even if you didn't agree completely with it. There is no way you could ever fall for someone who hadn't been vetted by her, or whom she patently disapproved of. In a way, I am slightly jealous of how close you two are, I guess. But, at the same time, I think it is a beautiful thing, and I can only hope that I can be half as close to each of you as you are to each other… It's only natural that you set a lot of store by her opinions on the world. And I suspect it is the same for her, despite all her claims of being too smart for everyone around her. Mostly bluster, I guess."

"You read people pretty well."

Saeko shrugged. "Probably a by-product of my kendo training. The really good practitioners know that half the battle can be won simply by observing and figuring out your enemy's intentions, and planning out your course of action to counter that. Reading people is an important component of that. If you can make out the type of person your opponent is, you can predict the type of play they'll go for more accurately."

Takashi chuckled. "And you are one of the best around at it."

Saeko's face took on the beginnings of a blush. "Flatterer!", she accused.

"Eh, but it is true."

"Doesn't matter. The accusation still stands." She flicked Takashi's nose.

Takashi rubbed his nose, and looked mournfully at Saeko. "What was that for?! It hurt!", he exclaimed.

Saeko folded her hands and looked away from Takashi. "Humph! Punishment, obviously."

"For what?! I don't remember things going like this the last time I tried to pay you a compliment", he complained.

"Well, if you expect the same strategy to work every time, then you might as well be playing an eroge or something."

Takashi considered this for a moment. "You may have a point there. If this were an eroge, you wouldn't suddenly transition into a tsun-heavy tsundere", he conceded.

Saeko gave him a withering look. "What about me is tsundere? If I were to think of someone, Saya would fit that mold better", she fumed.

"No way! Saya is more like a dandere than a tsundere. She ignores people until she feels they're worth her time", replied Takashi, vehemently.

He thought for a moment, before adding, "Though, I will admit that you have a point. You are more kuudere than tsundere."

Saeko blew out her cheeks at this, outraged, and flicked Takashi on the nose again.

"Ow! That hurts!", he complained again.

"It's your own fault. You keep classifying me into these tropes that I'm not a part of. I'm me, you know."

"But, I only said you were like that. I didn't say you were that!"

Saeko considered this for a moment. "Still, it deserves punishment", she decided, flicking Takashi's nose nonchalantly again.

The poor boy's nose was now markedly red. He rubbed it gingerly, giving Saeko a mournful look. Something about Takashi's countenance made a strange feeling well up inside Saeko. She examined it internally and decided that it was because Takashi looked sooooo...moe with his red nose and the woebegone expression on his face. She suddenly felt the urge to kiss Takashi hard, and acted on it, pushing his hand aside and launching into it with gusto. Takashi got over his initial surprise and found himself naturally melting into it, granting Saeko's hungry mouth the access she sought.

When they broke apart eventually to catch their breath, Takashi asked her, "What was that about?"

"Did you not like it?", asked Saeko, feigning hurt.

"Eh. No, of course I liked it. I was just wondering how I went from being flicked on the nose as punishment one moment, to being kissed the next."

Saeko smirked. "You did something right, and so I rewarded you."

Takashi scratched his head. "What was it?"

Saeko uncharacteristically stuck out her tongue at him. "Not telling. We girls like to keep our secrets."

Takashi shook his head. "More like, you girls like to react differently to the same thing at different points of time for no reason, and attribute your mood swings to your menstrual cycles."

Saeko burst out laughing at that, and slapped Takashi on the shoulder. "Yes, it would seem that we reserve the right to be inconsistent. And, the physiological changes inflicted upon us at birth does make for a convenient excuse. That way, we can be unpredictable and keep you guys on your toes."

"Ugh. I give up", said Takashi, throwing up his arms in consternation.

Saeko laughed. The two settled into a companionable silence.

Presently, they heard footsteps approach their position. It was Shizuka.

Takashi said, "Ah, Shizuka-sensei, are you finished with Rei?"

Shizuka nodded, replying, "Yes, but she is still somewhat sore. And rather irritable. She was asking for you."

Takashi nodded, and made his way to the bedroom.

Saeko walked up to Shizuka and told her, "Yuriko-san told me where they kept their medical needs. Let's see what we need to stock up on."

Shizuka nodded, and said, "Lead the way, Saeko-chan."

The two walked off in the opposite direction.

-0—

The first thing Takashi noticed when he entered the room was that Rei had not much on. In the way of clothing, that is. She lay on her back, in a manner that could best be described as spread-eagled. She wore a white bra and a pair of boxer shorts. The room also smelt vaguely of Salonpas. Which made sense…Rei did have a sprain, after all. His entry caused her to look up from her unknown musings.

Takashi went slightly red with embarrassment and cleared his throat, before stuttering, "Oh… I didn't know you weren't dressed. I'll just come in a while. Shizuka-san said that you were asking for me, so I assumed…anyway, never mind, just holler once you're done dressing, okay?"

Takashi turned around and made to walk out the door when Rei finally spoke up.

"Wait, Takashi", she said.

Takashi turned back, giving the girl a quizzical look.

"I'm sorry, but it's easier for me to stay like this. I was running a fever and covering up would just make me sweat a lot and gross out my clothes."

There was a pause.

"If you want, I could cover up with the bathrobe Yuriko-san gave me", added Rei, feeling the pause elongating too much.

Takashi looked at her, expression unreadable. Finally, he shrugged.

"Nah, it's cool. The bathrobe will make you feel even warmer. Do whatever makes you feel comfortable."

Rei smiled at that. She got up slowly and turned towards the window, away from where Takashi was standing at the door, and motioned to him to sit next to her on the bed. He walked over and took his place at (what he adjudged) a safe enough distance. Rei noticed that Takashi had left a gap between them, and scooted over, closing the distance, and leaning up against his left side, making sure that Takashi was very aware of her warm presence.

"So, how are you doing? You took a pretty hefty fall back then."

"It was sore for about a day, but Shizuka-sensei did a great job tending to me…she thinks I should be up and about by tomorrow morning for sure."

"That's good. That'll also give us enough time to prepare everything we need before we head out."

Rei's shoulder slumped a little. "I feel bad that I'm not helping out with anything…I feel so useless!"

Takashi put his left hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently to offer comfort.

"Hey…you are injured. There's nothing wrong with letting everyone else take care of things till you're better. We're all here to watch each other's back…No one gets left behind, remember."

Rei looked at Takashi and smiled. "That was one of the only games you ever got me to play, come to think of it."

"Of course. It's a classic. Like Lord of the Rings. You need to play Mass Effect through at least once in your life if you were born in the 1990s!"

Rei laughed and punched Takashi's shoulder lightly. "It was nice…Though, I was kind of surprised how long you took prettying up the character. And how every saved character of yours was female…Do you do that for every game?"

Takashi blushed slightly. "If I can customize, then yes. Every character I play will be a cute-as-I-can-make-it female. When you play a game for hours at a time, and you have to look at the character, you'd want to make them as nice to look at as possible, right", he said, somewhat defensively.

Rei chuckled. "I suppose that makes sense. It's still weird, though."

Takashi scratched his head at that. "I guess?", he offered non-commitally.

"Of course it is", said Rei, laughing.

They sat in silence for a while. However, it wasn't a companionable variety; there was tension in it, mostly originating from the fact that both of them were ignoring the very real elephant in the room. The subject of Takashi's current 'relationship status', to use a popular social media term.

Rei was the one to break the silence after a bit. "So, about you and Saya…and Saeko…"

"Yeah..."

"Umm…congratulations! I'm really happy for you", she said, with a very forced, obviously false, smile.

Takashi looked at her intently, and shook his head. "Thanks for the thought, but I can make out that you aren't really happy at all."

Rei let out a sigh. "Yeah, I'm not. Not really…you can't feel happy when something like this happens, I guess." She gave a shaky laugh.

"Something like what?", asked Takashi.

"Well, you know…", said Rei, vaguely flailing her arms around.

Takashi raised his eyebrow. "What do I know, exactly?"

Rei turned away. Takashi stayed silent. Eventually, Rei said, "I always thought that we'd end up together…after that promise we made when we were children."

"That was a long time ago, Rei. I've changed since then. You've changed too. You had a boyfriend who thought the world of you. And there are important things I feel you've not told me about…"

"Like what?", asked Rei, bristling slightly.

"Why you dropped a year, for one. You think it didn't surprise us to suddenly see you in our class, when you're a year older than all of us?", replied Takashi, calmly.

"That was something that I couldn't talk to anyone about…even Saya and you…I didn't even tell Hisashi about what happened…you know, the boyfriend who 'thought the world' of me. Someone who'd seen me naked, whom I had sex with …and I still couldn't tell him so many things about me", replied Rei, voice tremulous.

Takashi looked at her, confused. Rei glared at him for reasons unknown, before looking away.

"And do you know why? It was always just a distraction. A physical release. There was no mental connection at all, apart from a friendship that was at best, mediocre. I always considered you much closer to me, and even Saya probably knew me better. Hisashi was too besotted with me for it to have ever been a relationship of equals. I never really loved him, thinking back. In the beginning, it was all good. It was something new I could go along with. It was fun. He was eager to please, and made me feel good about myself. Like a princess… and it felt natural, you know, just to manipulate things to the way I thought I wanted it to be. But, let me tell you…it's fucking unsatisfying after a point. It gets on your nerves. You can't love someone who just doubles up as a slave, to your every whim and desire. Despite all the shit I did, all the tantrums I threw, and all the stuff I hid from him, I was instantly forgiven if I just took him to bed. At that point, it gets so dull. You're just in a relationship because there's nothing better to do…and also because it's easier to just get your physical release from someone you know is safe. It was just another aspect of my life that was stuck in a rut."

Rei gave a bitter laugh, and looked at Takashi with a hunted expression. Takashi digested all this in silence.

"Well, you still haven't told me what happened…Hisashi may have been just… a boy toy or something to you, and you claim it's because you weren't that friendly or close with him on a mental or emotional level. Since you didn't tell me, or Saya, or anyone I know, anything about it, all I can assume from here is that you considered no one worthy of the story."

Rei looked at him somewhat incredulously. Takashi stared back impassively. Rei waved her hand around.

"Look around you. There's an apocalypse happening. I'm sure planning for that shit is more important than some sob story about me."

"Well, you are the one who asked to see me. So it must have been important. Right? And like you said, there's an apocalypse happening around us. So, it would be logical for you to stop the drama and get to the point, wouldn't it?"

Rei stared at Takashi for a while, before looking away and bursting into tears. Takashi restrained the urge to comfort her in any way. There was hardly a reason for him to do so, considering what he'd just heard. He got up and looked out the window. The room Rei had been put up in had a view of the pond – Saya's 'sulk spot'. It wasn't fully visible, as a tree blocked most of the scene. He idly wondered if anyone had seen the encounters that had taken place earlier in the day, between Saya and Saeko, and then between Saya and himself. Definitely possible, but not very probable, he decided.

Rei eventually stopped crying when she realized that she wasn't being comforted despite her tears. That was rather strange behavior from a guy, in her opinion. She was used to being able to manipulate Hisashi's behavior by just willing her face to display different expressions. Tears were what she used to ensure that she got what she wanted. That could have been one of the reasons she found her previous relationship so tedious.

She decided to voice her grievance. "Geez, Takashi-kun… shouldn't you comfort your friends when they're down, or feeling sad, or crying. Especially, if they're girls."

Takashi looked back at her and shrugged. "I guess that is the normal approach…but in this instance, I didn't think it would have helped."

"You don't understand girls at all! When we're emotional and sad, especially in front of a boy, it's like an indication for us to be comforted by that person", complained Rei.

Takashi shrugged again. "It's obvious you have some sort of issue. I'm not sure if and how you're dealing with it on your own, since I don't even know what it is. Here's the thing, though – when you have a problem, you can either keep crying about it, or take steps to try to solve it. Not saying one way is better than the other. But, the former route will win you sympathy for only so long. Some people may be more receptive to it than others. Speaking for myself, here and now, I have neither the patience nor the time to entertain it. So you'll either tell me what's going on in the next few minutes, or we part to continue preparing for our departure from here… That isn't to say that I will abandon you or anything like that. You will not be left behind unless you want to be. And, I've known you long enough to simply trust that whatever it is you're dealing with will not hurt anyone else in our group, and that you won't put us in danger willfully."

Rei looked at Takashi, dumbfounded. Then, she gave him a curious look, a look that seemed to indicate that she was actually seeing him for the first time. Takashi looked back impassively, betraying nothing.

Finally, Rei said, "You really are growing into your role as the leader, huh?"

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean."

"You always had the ability, just not the inclination, I suppose. It's funny… Saeko and Saya seem to know how to unlock your potential better than I ever could, and I always considered myself the person who knew you best. I guess I wasn't giving other people or you enough credit, or giving myself too much of it. Either way, I guess it is time. I would really appreciate it if you could bear with me and listen to my tale."

Takashi inclined his head. "It was why I came here."

Rei stayed silent for a while, seemingly gathering her thoughts. Eventually, she began her story:

"I suppose I should start with how this all began. As you know, my father works in the public security office."

Takashi nodded, saying, "As does your mother, if I recall correctly."

Rei nodded back. "Yes, she does as well. But their roles aren't the same. My mother works as a cop on the beat, while my father works as a detective. Around eighteen months ago, he received a lead on the illegal activities of a corrupt politician. This man was involved in a lot of bad things. Drug trafficking, underage prostitution, money laundering…all in all, he was as rotten as they came. His name was…Ichirou Shido."

Takashi's brow furrowed. "Is he related to that creepy teacher at our school?"

Rei nodded. "Yes, Ichirou Shido is Koichi Shido's father. I am personally not sure what went down between the two of them, but our teacher hates his father. That doesn't stop him from doing what he says, however. In any case, my father got close to some sort of breakthrough on the case with a tip from someone who knew the minister…A week later, I found out that I had failed history for the academic year, and would be held back as a result."

Understanding dawned on Takashi. History was Shido's subject. In their school, considered one of the elite institutions in city, the criteria for passing on to the next class was quite strict. Rei's fail grade in that year would forever be a black mark against her record, something that could have affected her university applications down the line. Now, he wasn't sure that they'd ever have to even go through that, but the point remained. Rei was an average student, always somewhere in the middle of the class, but never really threatened by a fail grade in her entire school career.

"That's Shido's subject…so they did it to get your dad to lay off…Damn them!", said Takashi, voice rising with every word.

Rei nodded mournfully, tears leaking from her eyes.

"History was one of my better subjects too…I maintained an A-minus average until that point, so it was very irregular. However, the Shido family donates a lot of money to the school; it was probably one of the factors that allowed Mr. Koichi to become vice-principal so quickly. My parents and I appealed, but nothing came of it. Tackling it legally would have taken years, and I still had at least a year of education left in which my life could have been made very hard. It was a literally a no-win situation. My dad refused to drop his investigation, however. You know how he is, believing he's a crusader for justice or some shit. Additionally, Mr Shido took every opportunity to gloat over what had happened, and threaten me with more repercussions. Maybe unfairly, I blamed my father for it all, and grew distant from him. When your daughter has to go through something like that, you would think that it's a message to dial down the idealism and take a look around at the real world. Maybe be more discreet or drop the investigation altogether. My mother tried to play peacekeeper, but it didn't really work. Most days, hardly a word would be exchanged between us. I just went through the motions of living…and Hisashi was a good enough distraction that I didn't take up drugs or start cutting myself or something. I did take up smoking. It got really bad at one point, so now, I'm trying to cut back."

She gave him a thin smile. Takashi was stunned by Rei's revelations. He took some time to process what he'd heard, and when he fully assimilated everything Rei had said, he found himself restless for some reason. He wished that he'd punched Shido in the face when they'd met just as the outbreak had happened. He paced around the room to work it off and gather his thoughts.

"Which brand?", he asked her suddenly.

Rei looked confused. "Huh?"

"Which brand? The cigarettes? Do you have any with you?"

"Uhh…Pianissimo Mild. And yes, they're in the bag. Why do you ask?"

Takashi went over to the chair where Rei's bag had been kept.

"Which compartment?"

"The front zipper…"

He opened said zipper and saw what he was looking for. He fished the pack out and opened it up. It was mostly full. He fished out two and lit both, before bringing one over to Rei. Rei looked surprised, but accepted it nonetheless. He placed the ashtray (which had conveniently been set on the table in the room) on the chair beside the bed.

Rei was surprised that Takashi seemed practiced enough to smoke. It had taken her a while before she could get used to it, so she could tell that it wasn't anything new to him.

"You smoke regularly?"

Takashi shrugged. "Mostly during exam prep time. Nicotine is more potent than caffeine. More effective at keeping you awake and makes me more focused."

"I see…so does Saya smoke too?"

Takashi nodded. "Yes, she does. Quite similar to me, in fact. Come to think of it, I don't believe either of us smoke alone. Like if the other isn't, then the thought doesn't cross our heads…"

Rei snorted. "You two really are joined at the hip. And it has always been that way…Tell me though, what do you get normally? And where? It's harder to get this stuff if you're underage nowadays."

"Generally, the Mild Sevens. And there was a vending machine close to the auto shop where I worked part time. You don't get carded there."

Rei nodded. Takashi opened up the windows so that the smoke wouldn't leave a stench.

"How about you?", he enquired.

"I used to get them from a machine near the maid café I worked at too."

"You worked at a maid café?" Takashi looked incredulously at Rei.

Rei blushed slightly and nodded. "Yeah, I did."

"When did this happen? More importantly, where!?"

Rei smiled. "At 'The Bunny Place', quite near the Taiei Shopping Complex. I was there for about a year, and stopped a month ago to prepare for the finals."

"I've heard of the place. Isn't it kinda exclusive?"

Rei nodded. "It is. The pay was good. I only worked there like thirty to forty hours a month, but on an average made about 1500 yen an hour including tips, so it was good. And it also helped me be away from home, so I was happy enough. I didn't realize how stupid I was being till this all started…"

She started tearing up. "This situation has got me thinking. You really never understand the value of what you have till it gets taken away. When I think of the last time I talked to my father, when we just shouted at each other because he was on my case about what I was doing in my free time, I feel like shit. And even I noticed that he's been looking rough for a while, hasn't been eating too well, and moping a lot. I know mum used to cry when she thought she was alone about how things were. I saw her a few times, but I'd closed myself off so much to my parents that I didn't have the strength to try and fix things. It wasn't even so bad that it was unfixable, so I guess it was just me being selfish. Now, my dearest wish is to be able to see him safe, and fix things at least a little bit. I don't want my last memory of him to be that shouting match. I don't want him to have gone thinking that his only daughter hated him."

Takashi put his free hand on Rei's shoulder and squeezed.

"Come on, don't think like that! In this sort of situation, we have to stay positive…And even if things went south, I'm pretty sure he would never have thought that. A small-minded politician's family can test, but not break the bond between you two. I mean, you didn't run away from home or something, so it wasn't as major as it could have been."

"Yeah, I guess not. But I feel really bad that I acted like an absolute bitch."

"That shows that you care. Definitely a good start. When there's a stalemate, someone has to make the first move for a reconciliation to be set in motion."

"I guess…"

"Plus, you can always hope that we meet Shido again so we can punish him. He has a lot to answer for. Especially with the shit he pulled on the bus. Playing people off each other in that sort of situation is just not done."

Rei nodded grimly in agreement.

The two sat in a companionable silence, working their way through their (strictly-not-legally procured) cigarettes.

"These are milder than the Mild Sevens", observed Takashi.

Rei shrugged. "I guess. I tried those too, but I settled on these. They're also marginally cheaper", she said.

Takashi nodded. They sat in silence for a few moments before Rei let out a big sigh.

"You know, a very wise person once said that you lose a portion of your happiness each time you sigh."

"Sounds like something Saya would say."

"I forget where I heard it."

A few moments later, "I was just thinking about everything that's happened. It seems so unreal…a zombie randomly running up to me, Hisashi blocking it off and getting bitten in the process, then being mercy killed by you. Meeting up with the rest, the run-in with Shido, the punk at the petrol station, staying over at Shizuka-san's place, picking up Alice and then getting this back sprain while you and Saeko-san went missing…And it's just been what, 3 days since it all began?"

Takashi nodded. "Give or take, yeah. It is unreal, and a lot of things have gone our way. We'll have to make sure we prepare the best we can for what is to come. That's all we can do, really."

He took one final puff and stubbed his cigarette out, before walking over to the pedestal fan on the other side of the bed. He stopped just before he reached it, however, smacked his head, muttering , "Right. Stupid me. There's no power now."

Rei, who had been observing him with interest first looked surprised, then giggled at his antics. "It went off sometime last night", she supplied, before taking a final drag on her cigarette and stubbing it out on the ashtray as well.

"The smoke should clear out fast enough, if that's what's worrying you. Pretty stiff wind blowing outside."

Takashi nodded. "I guess so."

Takashi came back to sit on the bed. The silence stretched out for a bit.

"So, what's the plan now?", asked Rei.

Takashi looked at her, "Oh. I was just thinking about that. You mentioned Shizuka-sensei said that you should be up and about by tomorrow morning. If so, we should aim to complete preparations and head out sometime in the afternoon. I think we should all meet again in the morning to see where we're at, and plan how and where we'll be going. Both our houses are close enough, as is the police station, to the Taiei Shopping Complex where Rika-san wanted to meet us. I think we should head to that area."

Rei nodded in agreement, unable to think of any better alternative.

A moment later, Takashi got up from his place and stretched, before smiling at Rei, saying, "Well, I'd best be off then. You should also rest and ensure that you're fully recovered."

He started towards the door, but stopped when Rei spoke up. "Takashi…wait. I…umm…just wanted to say that I'm really happy for you. And Saya-san. Saeko-san too. I'd always been known how close Saya was to you. To be honest, I was always jealous, and tried to tie you down with some childish promise. I did realize, deep down, that she was always going to be closer to you, whatever I did, and would be the better choice. I suppose I didn't really deserve someone like you, considering all my actions over the past year or so... and I can't pretend I'm not somewhat heartbroken at how things turned out because you'll always be my first love. But I don't think I'm selfish enough to let that get in the way of just accepting that I'm not the one who's meant to be with you, romantically, and that I need to let go of that idea…I'm sorry for hiding all the stuff that was going on with me for so long. You've been nothing but friendly and I wasn't in the right frame of mind to see that. So I'm sorry…and thanks for sticking with me…Err, that's it, I guess."

Takashi turned around, took out his handkerchief, walked over, and wiped away the tears that were leaking from Rei's eyes.

"There's really nothing to be sorry about. Don't worry. We'll get through this together, somehow."

He smiled at Rei, and after she nodded, he got up and continued on his way outside, waving his hand, throwing out a "Later", over his shoulder.

Rei fell back on her bad with a slight thud. She felt somewhat tired. Not particularly surprising, given her condition. She noticed that Takashi had left his handkerchief with her. She spread it out, each hand holding an edge of one side and looked at a picture of a girl with purple pigtails who looked like she came from a game or anime. After thinking for a few moments, the name came to her.

"It was Miku…from Vocaloid. I wonder if Takashi-kun will miss it or if it'll be okay for me to hold on to this", she thought idly. She looked out the window. The sun was setting. It would be dark soon. She wondered how her parents were doing, if they were…no, they had to be alive! Just contemplating the alternative was too painful. They were smart enough to take care of themselves. She'd see them soon. She sent out a small prayer to whatever god was listening, wishing that her parents were okay, and that the Shido family get their comeuppance at some point, before drifting off into a relatively peaceful slumber.


End file.
